CVE Vulnerabilities

CVE-2001-1593

Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')

Published: Apr 05, 2014 | Modified: May 01, 2014
CVSS 3.x
N/A
Source:
NVD
CVSS 2.x
2.1 LOW
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
RedHat/V2
RedHat/V3
Ubuntu

The tempname_ensure function in lib/routines.h in a2ps 4.14 and earlier, as used by the spy_user function and possibly other functions, allows local users to modify arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporary file.

Weakness

The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.

Affected Software

Name Vendor Start Version End Version
A2ps Gnu * 4.14 (including)
A2ps Gnu 4.10.3 (including) 4.10.3 (including)
A2ps Gnu 4.10.4 (including) 4.10.4 (including)
A2ps Gnu 4.12 (including) 4.12 (including)
A2ps Gnu 4.13 (including) 4.13 (including)
A2ps Gnu 4.13b (including) 4.13b (including)

Potential Mitigations

  • Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
  • Denying access to a file can prevent an attacker from replacing that file with a link to a sensitive file. Ensure good compartmentalization in the system to provide protected areas that can be trusted.

References