IBM AIX man privilege escalation

ibm-aix-man-privilege-escalation (41067)

High Risk

Description:

IBM AIX could allow a local attacker to gain elevated privileges on the system, caused by the improper invoking of binaries without a full pathname by the "man" utility. By placing a malicious program in the pathname of the "man" utility, a local attacker could execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the victim, once the "man" utility is executed.

*CVSS:

Base Score:	3.7
Access Vector:	Local
Access Complexity:	High
Authentication:	None
Confidentiality Impact:	Partial
Integrity Impact:	Partial
Availability Impact:	Partial
Temporal Score:	2.7
Exploitability:	Unproven
Remediation Level:	Official-Fix
Report Confidence:	Confirmed

Consequences:

Gain Privileges

Remedy:

Refer to IBM APAR IZ17177 for patch, upgrade or suggested workaround information. See References.

References:

• IBM APAR IZ17177: /USR/BIN/MAN NOT USING FULL PATH BINARIES.
• BID-28180: IBM AIX 'man' Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
• CVE-2008-1274: Untrusted search path vulnerability in man in IBM AIX 6.1.0 allows local users to execute arbitrary code via a malicious program in the man directory.
• SA29301: AIX "man" Insecure Program Execution Vulnerability
• SECTRACK ID: 1019572: IBM AIX 'man' Utility May Let Local Users Gain Elevated Privileges
• VUPEN/ADV-2008-0805: IBM AIX man Untrusted Binaries Path Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Platforms Affected:

• IBM AIX 6.1

Reported:

Mar 07, 2008

The information within this database may change without notice. Use of this information constitutes acceptance for use in an AS IS condition. There are NO warranties, implied or otherwise, with regard to this information or its use. Any use of this information is at the user's risk. In no event shall the author/distributor (IBM Internet Security Systems X-Force) be held liable for any damages whatsoever arising out of or in connection with the use or spread of this information.

For corrections or additions please email xforce@iss.net

Return to the main page

* According to the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is an "industry open standard designed to convey vulnerability severity and help to determine urgency and priority of response." IBM PROVIDES THE CVSS SCORES "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CUSTOMERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF ANY ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL SECURITY VULNERABILITY.
The information within this database may change without notice. Use of this information constitutes acceptance for use in an AS IS condition. There are NO warranties, implied or otherwise, with regard to this information or its use. Any use of this information is at the user's risk. In no event shall IBM be held liable for any damages whatsoever arising out of or in connection with the use or spread of this information.

About IBM Internet Security Systems

IBM Internet Security Systems is a trusted security advisor to thousands of the world's leading businesses and governments, helping to provide pre-emptive protection for networks, desktops and servers. The IBM Proventia? integrated security platform is designed to automatically protect against both known and unknown threats, helping to keep networks up and running and shield customers from online attacks before they impact business assets. IBM Internet Security Systems products and services are based on the proactive security intelligence of its X-Force? research and development team ? an unequivocal world authority in vulnerability and threat research. The IBM Internet Security Systems product line is also complemented by comprehensive Managed Security Services and Professional Security Services. For more information, visit the IBM Internet Security Systems Web site at www.iss.net or call 800-776-2362.