CVE-2013-1923: Infoleak
It was reported [1],[2] that rpc.gssd in nfs-utils is vulnerable to DNS spoofing due to it depending on PTR resolution for GSSAPI authentication. Because of this, if a user where able to poison DNS to a victim's computer, they would be able to trick rpc.gssd into talking to another server (perhaps with less security) than the intended server (with stricter security). If the victim has write access to the second (less secure) server, and the attacker has read access (when they normally might not on the secure server), the victim could write files to that server, which the attacker could obtain (when normally they would not be able to). To the victim this is transparent because the victim's computer asks the KDC for a ticket to the second server due to reverse DNS resolution; in this case Krb5 authentication does not fail because the victim is talking to the "correct" server.
A patch that prevents this issue has been posted [3].
To workaround this issue, set the IP/host pair in /etc/hosts so that it cannot be spoofed.
A good explanation is also available here [4].
[1] http://marc.info/?l=linux-nfs&m=136491998607561&w=2 [2] http://marc.info/?l=linux-nfs&m=136500502805121&w=2 [3] http://marc.info/?l=linux-nfs&m=136493115612397&w=2 [4] http://ssimo.org/blog/id015.html
Other sources
rpc-gssd in nfs-utils before 1.2.8 performs reverse DNS resolution for server names during GSSAPI authentication, which might allow remote attackers to read otherwise-restricted files via DNS spoofing attacks.
— MITRE
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2013-1923?
CVE-2013-1923 has been classified as a medium severity vulnerability.
How do I fix CVE-2013-1923?
To fix CVE-2013-1923, upgrade nfs-utils to a version higher than 1.2.7.
Which versions of nfs-utils are affected by CVE-2013-1923?
CVE-2013-1923 affects nfs-utils versions 1.2.0 through 1.2.7 inclusive.
What type of attack does CVE-2013-1923 allow?
CVE-2013-1923 allows DNS spoofing attacks that can lead to unauthorized GSSAPI authentication.
Is CVE-2013-1923 specific to any operating system?
CVE-2013-1923 is specific to Linux systems using the nfs-utils package.