CVE Vulnerabilities

CVE-2013-1444

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

Published: Sep 30, 2013 | Modified: Oct 11, 2013
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

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

Name Vendor Start Version End Version
Txt2man Debian 1.5.5-2 (including) 1.5.5-2 (including)
Txt2man Debian 1.5.5-4 (including) 1.5.5-4 (including)
Txt2man Marc_vertes 1.5.5 (including) 1.5.5 (including)
Txt2man Ubuntu devel *
Txt2man Ubuntu lucid *
Txt2man Ubuntu precise *
Txt2man Ubuntu quantal *
Txt2man Ubuntu raring *
Txt2man Ubuntu upstream *

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