Splunk Enterprise 6.6.x, when configured to run as root but drop privileges to a specific non-root account, allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging access to that non-root account to modify $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/splunk-launch.conf and insert Trojan horse programs into $SPLUNK_HOME/bin, because the non-root setup instructions state that chown should be run across all of $SPLUNK_HOME to give non-root access.
Weakness
The product specifies permissions for a security-critical resource in a way that allows that resource to be read or modified by unintended actors.
Affected Software
| Name |
Vendor |
Start Version |
End Version |
| Splunk |
Splunk |
6.6.0 |
6.6.11 |
Potential Mitigations
- Run the code in a “jail” or similar sandbox environment that enforces strict boundaries between the process and the operating system. This may effectively restrict which files can be accessed in a particular directory or which commands can be executed by the software.
- OS-level examples include the Unix chroot jail, AppArmor, and SELinux. In general, managed code may provide some protection. For example, java.io.FilePermission in the Java SecurityManager allows the software to specify restrictions on file operations.
- This may not be a feasible solution, and it only limits the impact to the operating system; the rest of the application may still be subject to compromise.
- Be careful to avoid CWE-243 and other weaknesses related to jails.
References