Vulnerabilities
Misconfiguration
Compliance
CVE Vulnerabilities

CVE-2013-1444

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

Published: Sep 30, 2013 | Modified: Apr 11, 2025
CVSS 3.x
N/A
Source:
NVD
CVSS 2.x
3.3 LOW
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:P
RedHat/V2
RedHat/V3
Ubuntu
MEDIUM
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Additional information
NVDhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-1444
CWEhttps://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/59.html

A certain Debian patch for txt2man 1.5.5, as used in txt2man 1.5.5-2, 1.5.5-4, and others, allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on /tmp/2222.

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
Txt2manDebian1.5.5-2 (including)1.5.5-2 (including)
Txt2manDebian1.5.5-4 (including)1.5.5-4 (including)
Txt2manMarc_vertes1.5.5 (including)1.5.5 (including)
Txt2manUbuntudevel*
Txt2manUbuntulucid*
Txt2manUbuntuprecise*
Txt2manUbuntuquantal*
Txt2manUbunturaring*
Txt2manUbuntuupstream*

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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