CVE-2017-14177

Apport through 2.20.7 does not properly handle core dumps from setuid binaries allowing local users to create certain files as root which an attacker could leverage to perform a denial of service via resource exhaustion or possibly gain root privileges. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2015-1324.

Weakness

The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.

Affected Software

Potential Mitigations

• Mitigation of resource exhaustion attacks requires that the target system either:

• The first of these solutions is an issue in itself though, since it may allow attackers to prevent the use of the system by a particular valid user. If the attacker impersonates the valid user, they may be able to prevent the user from accessing the server in question.

• The second solution is simply difficult to effectively institute – and even when properly done, it does not provide a full solution. It simply makes the attack require more resources on the part of the attacker.

Related Attack Patterns

• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/147.html
• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/227.html
• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/492.html

References

• https://bazaar.launchpad.net/~apport-hackers/apport/trunk/revision/3171
• https://launchpad.net/bugs/1726372
• https://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu-security/cve/?cve=CVE-2017-14177
• https://usn.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-3480-1
• https://bazaar.launchpad.net/~apport-hackers/apport/trunk/revision/3171
• https://launchpad.net/bugs/1726372
• https://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu-security/cve/?cve=CVE-2017-14177
• https://usn.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-3480-1