CVE-2008-5303: Race Condition

Published Dec 1, 2008
·
Updated

Race condition in the rmtree function in File::Path 1.08 (lib/File/Path.pm) in Perl 5.8.8 allows local users to to delete arbitrary files via a symlink attack, a different vulnerability than CVE-2005-0448, CVE-2004-0452, and CVE-2008-2827. NOTE: this is a regression error related to CVE-2005-0448. It is different from CVE-2008-5302 due to affected versions.

Affected Software

2 affected components
Perl Perl=5.8.8
Perl File\=\-path

Event History

Dec 1, 2008
CVE Published
via MITRE·05:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·05:00 PM
Description
Data Sourced
05:30 PM
DescriptionWeaknessAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2008-5303?

CVE-2008-5303 is considered to have a medium severity due to its potential for local users to exploit the race condition.

2

How do I fix CVE-2008-5303?

To fix CVE-2008-5303, upgrade to a patched version of Perl that addresses this vulnerability.

3

Who is affected by CVE-2008-5303?

CVE-2008-5303 affects users of Perl 5.8.8 with File::Path version 1.08 due to improper handling of symlinks.

4

What is a symlink attack in relation to CVE-2008-5303?

A symlink attack in the context of CVE-2008-5303 occurs when a local user can exploit the race condition to delete arbitrary files through symbolic links.

5

Are there any workarounds for CVE-2008-5303?

Possible workarounds for CVE-2008-5303 include restricting user permissions on the filesystem to limit the ability to create symlinks.

Contact

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