CVE Vulnerabilities

CVE-2008-5135

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

Published: Nov 18, 2008 | Modified: Apr 11, 2024
CVSS 3.x
N/A
Source:
NVD
CVSS 2.x
6.2 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:H/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
RedHat/V2
RedHat/V3
Ubuntu

os-prober in os-prober 1.17 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the (1) /tmp/mounted-map or (2) /tmp/raided-map temporary file. NOTE: the vendor disputes this issue, stating the insecure code path should only ever run inside a d-i environment, which has no non-root users.

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
Os-prober Debian 1.17 (including) 1.17 (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