Relax-and-Recover (aka ReaR) through 2.7 creates a world-readable initrd when using GRUB_RESCUE=y. This allows local attackers to gain access to system secrets otherwise only readable by root.
Affected Software
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relax-and-recover | Relax-and-recover | * | 2.7 (including) |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | RedHat | rear-0:2.6-11.el8_9 | * |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | RedHat | rear-0:2.6-21.el9_3 | * |
| Rear | Ubuntu | bionic | * |
| Rear | Ubuntu | focal | * |
| Rear | Ubuntu | lunar | * |
| Rear | Ubuntu | mantic | * |
| Rear | Ubuntu | oracular | * |
| Rear | Ubuntu | plucky | * |
| Rear | Ubuntu | trusty | * |
| Rear | Ubuntu | xenial | * |
References
- https://github.com/rear/rear/issues/3122
- https://github.com/rear/rear/pull/3123
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/02/msg00003.html
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/7JIN57LUPBI2GDJOK3PYXNHJTZT3AQTZ/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/UHKMPXJNXEJJE6EVYE5HM7EKEJFQMBN7/
- https://github.com/rear/rear/issues/3122
- https://github.com/rear/rear/pull/3123
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/02/msg00003.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/12/msg00011.html
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/7JIN57LUPBI2GDJOK3PYXNHJTZT3AQTZ/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/UHKMPXJNXEJJE6EVYE5HM7EKEJFQMBN7/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/7JIN57LUPBI2GDJOK3PYXNHJTZT3AQTZ/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/UHKMPXJNXEJJE6EVYE5HM7EKEJFQMBN7/