CVE-2022-40299

In Singular before 4.3.1, a predictable /tmp pathname is used (e.g., by sdb.cc), which allows local users to gain the privileges of other users via a procedure in a file under /tmp. NOTE: this CVE Record is about sdb.cc and similar files in the Singular interface that have predictable /tmp pathnames; this CVE Record is not about the lack of a safe temporary-file creation capability in the Singular language.

Weakness

The product uses insufficiently random numbers or values in a security context that depends on unpredictable numbers.

Affected Software

Potential Mitigations

• Use a well-vetted algorithm that is currently considered to be strong by experts in the field, and select well-tested implementations with adequate length seeds.
• In general, if a pseudo-random number generator is not advertised as being cryptographically secure, then it is probably a statistical PRNG and should not be used in security-sensitive contexts.
• Pseudo-random number generators can produce predictable numbers if the generator is known and the seed can be guessed. A 256-bit seed is a good starting point for producing a “random enough” number.

Related Attack Patterns

• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/112.html
• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/485.html
• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/59.html

References

• http://michael.orlitzky.com/cves/cve-2022-40299.xhtml
• https://github.com/Singular/Singular/commit/5f28fbf066626fa9c4a8f0e6408c0bb362fb386c
• https://github.com/Singular/Singular/issues/1137