SUSE Linux chkstat weak file permissions
| suse-chkstat-weak-permissions (22853) |  Low Risk |
Description:
chkstat in certain versions of SUSE Linux could allow a local attacker to modify file permissions. chkstat fails to change permissions of files that have a hardlink count of more than 1. A local attacker could create a hardlink to an arbitrary file from a world-writable directory, which could cause the link count to drop to 1, once the file is modified by the owner.
Platforms Affected:
- Novell, UnitedLinux 1.0
- SuSE, Linux Enterprise Server 8
- SuSE, SuSE Linux 10.0
- SuSE, SuSE Linux 9.0
- SuSE, SuSE Linux 9.1
- SuSE, SuSE Linux 9.2
- SuSE, SuSE Linux 9.3
- SuSE, SuSE Linux Desktop 1.0
- SuSE, SuSE SLES 9
Remedy:
For SUSE Linux:
Install the fixed kernels. Refer to SUSE Security Announcement SUSE-SA:2005:062 for more information. See References.
Consequences:
File Manipulation
References:
- BugTraq Mailing List, Mon Oct 24 2005 - 04:33:18 CDT, SUSE Security Announcement: permissions (SUSE-SA:2005:062) at http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/bugtraq/2005-10/0263.html.
- BID-15182: SUSE Linux Permissions Package CHKSTAT Insecure Permissions Handling Vulnerability
- CVE-2005-3321: chkstat in SuSE Linux 9.0 through 10.0 allows local users to modify permissions of files by creating a hardlink to a file from a world-writable directory, which can cause the link count to drop to 1 when the file is deleted or replaced, which is then modified by chkstat to use weaker permissions.
- OSVDB ID: 20263: SUSE Permissions Bypass chkstat Arbitrary File Access
- SUSE-SA:2005:062: permissions: information disclosure
Reported:
Oct 24, 2005
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