Vulnerabilities
Misconfiguration
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CVE Vulnerabilities

CVE-2011-4028

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

Published: Jul 03, 2012 | Modified: Apr 11, 2025
CVSS 3.x
N/A
Source:
NVD
CVSS 2.x
1.2 LOW
AV:L/AC:H/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
RedHat/V2
1.2 LOW
AV:L/AC:H/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
RedHat/V3
Ubuntu
MEDIUM
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Additional information
NVDhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-4028
CWEhttps://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/59.html

The LockServer function in os/utils.c in X.Org xserver before 1.11.2 allows local users to determine the existence of arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporary lock file, which is handled differently if the file exists.

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

NameVendorStart VersionEnd Version
X_serverX.org*1.11.1 (including)
X_serverX.org1.11.0 (including)1.11.0 (including)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5RedHatxorg-x11-server-0:1.1.1-48.90.el5*
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6RedHatxorg-x11-server-0:1.10.6-1.el6*
Xorg-serverUbuntuhardy*
Xorg-serverUbuntulucid*
Xorg-serverUbuntumaverick*
Xorg-serverUbuntunatty*
Xorg-serverUbuntuoneiric*

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

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