CVE-2014-4043: Code Injection
First published: Fri Jun 13 2014(Updated: )
posix_spawn_file_actions_addopen in glibc fails to copy the path argument. Per the specification (<a href="http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/000095399/functions/posix_spawn_file_actions_addclose.html">http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/000095399/functions/posix_spawn_file_actions_addclose.html</a>) it is supposed to. The result of not copying is that programs can easily trigger use-after-free bugs, or other situations where the path is mutated. The following program demonstrates this issue: #include <string.h> #include <assert.h> #include <fcntl.h> #include <unistd.h> #include <sys/types.h> #include <sys/wait.h> #include <stdlib.h> #include <spawn.h> #include <stdio.h> extern char *const *environ; int main() { int res; posix_spawn_file_actions_t fa; posix_spawn_file_actions_init(&fa); char *orig_path = "/tmp/afddsa"; char *path = malloc(strlen(orig_path) + 1); strcpy(path, orig_path); path[strlen(orig_path)] = '\0'; res = posix_spawn_file_actions_addopen( &fa, 1, path, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT, S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR); assert(res == 0); memset(path, 0, strlen(orig_path)); free(path); char *argv[] = {"/bin/echo", NULL}; pid_t pid; res = posix_spawn( &pid, "/bin/echo", &fa, NULL, argv, environ ); assert(res == 0); int status; wait4(pid, &status, 0, NULL); printf("%d\n", WEXITSTATUS(status)); } This bug was jointly discovered by David Reid, Alex Gaynor, and Glyph Lefkowitz. Issue is fixed in glibc 2.20: <a href="https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=glibc.git;h=89e435f3559c53084498e9baad22172b64429362">https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=glibc.git;h=89e435f3559c53084498e9baad22172b64429362</a> Recommended additional commit for backporting: <a href="https://sourceware.org/git/?p=glibc.git;a=commit;h=35a5e3e338ae17f3d42c6">https://sourceware.org/git/?p=glibc.git;a=commit;h=35a5e3e338ae17f3d42c6</a> External references: <a href="https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=17048">https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=17048</a>
Credit: cve@mitre.org
| Affected Software | Affected Version | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| redhat/glibc | <2.20 | 2.20 |
| GNU C Library (glibc) | <=2.19 | |
| openSUSE | =13.1 |
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Reference Links
- http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/000095399/functions/posix_spawn_file_actions_addclose.html
- https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=glibc.git;h=89e435f3559c53084498e9baad22172b64429362
- https://sourceware.org/git/?p=glibc.git;a=commit;h=35a5e3e338ae17f3d42c6
- https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=17048
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi/show_bug.cgi?id=1109745
- https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2014-4043
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1109263
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-08/msg00012.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/153278/WAGO-852-Industrial-Managed-Switch-Series-Code-Execution-Hardcoded-Credentials.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154361/Cisco-Device-Hardcoded-Credentials-GNU-glibc-BusyBox.html
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Jun/18
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Sep/7
- http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2014:152
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/68006
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/93784
- https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/Jun/14
- https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/Sep/7
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201503-04
- https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=glibc.git;a=blobdiff;f=ChangeLog;h=3020b9ac232315df362521aeaf85f21cb9926db8;hp=d86e73963dd9fb5e21b1a28326630337226812aa;hb=89e435f3559c53084498e9baad22172b64429362;hpb=c3a2ebe1f7541cc35937621e08c28ff88afd0845
- https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=glibc.git;a=blobdiff;f=posix/spawn_faction_addopen.c;h=40800b8e6e81341501c0fb8a91009529e2048dec;hp=47f62425b696a4fdd511b2a057746322eb6518db;hb=89e435f3559c53084498e9baad22172b64429362;hpb=c3a2ebe1f7541cc35937621e08c28ff88afd0845
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2014-4043?
CVE-2014-4043 is classified as a medium severity vulnerability.
What systems are affected by CVE-2014-4043?
CVE-2014-4043 affects glibc versions up to 2.19 and specifically glibc 2.20 on Red Hat.
How do I fix CVE-2014-4043?
To fix CVE-2014-4043, update glibc to version 2.20 or later.
Can CVE-2014-4043 lead to arbitrary code execution?
CVE-2014-4043 can potentially lead to issues with file action manipulation, which may impact application security.
Is there a workaround for CVE-2014-4043?
There are no known effective workarounds for CVE-2014-4043; upgrading glibc is recommended.
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