CVE-2013-1979: Medium severity linux kernel vulnerability
Commit 257b5358b32f ("scm: Capture the full credentials of the scm sender") changed the credentials passing code to pass in the effective uid/gid instead of the real uid/gid.
Obviously this doesn't matter most of the time (since normally they are the same), but it results in differences for suid binaries when the wrong uid/gid ends up being used.
An unprivileged local user could use this flaw to elevate their privileges.
Upstream fix: http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=83f1b4ba917db5dc5a061a44b3403ddb6e783494
Acknowledgements:
Red Hat would like to thank Andy Lutomirski for reporting this issue.
Other sources
The scmsetcred function in include/net/scm.h in the Linux kernel before 3.8.11 uses incorrect uid and gid values during credentials passing, which allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application.
— Launchpad
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2013-1979?
CVE-2013-1979 is classified as a medium severity vulnerability.
How do I fix CVE-2013-1979?
To fix CVE-2013-1979, update to a Linux kernel version that is not affected, such as 5.10.223-1 or newer.
What are the impacted versions for CVE-2013-1979?
CVE-2013-1979 affects Linux kernel versions up to 3.8.10, including 3.8.0 to 3.8.9.
Is CVE-2013-1979 a privilege escalation vulnerability?
Yes, CVE-2013-1979 can lead to privilege escalation under certain conditions.
Who is affected by CVE-2013-1979?
Users running the specified vulnerable versions of the Linux kernel are at risk of CVE-2013-1979.