Vulnerabilities
Misconfiguration
Compliance
CVE Vulnerabilities

CVE-2014-3981

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

Published: Jun 08, 2014 | Modified: Apr 12, 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
2.1 LOW
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
RedHat/V3
Ubuntu
LOW
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Additional information
NVDhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-3981
CWEhttps://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/59.html

acinclude.m4, as used in the configure script in PHP 5.5.13 and earlier, allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the /tmp/phpglibccheck 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

NameVendorStart VersionEnd Version
PhpPhp*5.3.29 (excluding)
PhpPhp5.4.0 (including)5.4.30 (excluding)
PhpPhp5.5.0 (including)5.5.14 (excluding)
LynisUbuntuartful*
LynisUbuntulucid*
LynisUbuntuprecise*
LynisUbuntusaucy*
LynisUbuntutrusty*
LynisUbuntuutopic*
LynisUbuntuvivid*
LynisUbuntuwily*
LynisUbuntuyakkety*
LynisUbuntuzesty*

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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