CVE-2014-5033: Race Condition

Published Aug 19, 2014
·
Updated

KDE kdelibs before 4.14 and kauth before 5.1 does not properly use D-Bus for communication with a polkit authority, which allows local users to bypass intended access restrictions by leveraging a PolkitUnixProcess PolkitSubject race condition via a (1) setuid process or (2) pkexec process, related to CVE-2013-4288 and "PID reuse race conditions."

Affected Software

38 affected components
Debian Kde4libs
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=12.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
KDE KAuth<=5.0
KDE kdelibs<=4.13.97
KDE kdelibs=4.10.0
KDE kdelibs=4.10.1
KDE kdelibs=4.10.2
KDE kdelibs=4.10.3
KDE kdelibs=4.10.95
KDE kdelibs=4.10.97
KDE kdelibs=4.11.0
KDE kdelibs=4.11.1
KDE kdelibs=4.11.2
KDE kdelibs=4.11.3
KDE kdelibs=4.11.4
KDE kdelibs=4.11.5
KDE kdelibs=4.11.80
KDE kdelibs=4.11.90
KDE kdelibs=4.11.95
KDE kdelibs=4.11.97
KDE kdelibs=4.12.0
KDE kdelibs=4.12.1
KDE kdelibs=4.12.2
KDE kdelibs=4.12.3
KDE kdelibs=4.12.4
KDE kdelibs=4.12.5
KDE kdelibs=4.12.80
KDE kdelibs=4.12.90
KDE kdelibs=4.12.95
KDE kdelibs=4.12.97
KDE kdelibs=4.13.0
KDE kdelibs=4.13.1
KDE kdelibs=4.13.2
KDE kdelibs=4.13.3
KDE kdelibs=4.13.80
KDE kdelibs=4.13.90
KDE kdelibs=4.13.95

Event History

Aug 19, 2014
CVE Published
via MITRE·06:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·06:00 PM
Description
Free Weekly Intel

Don't miss critical vulnerabilities

Join thousands of security professionals who receive our weekly digest of trending CVEs, zero-days, and exploited vulnerabilities.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2014-5033?

CVE-2014-5033 is classified as a medium severity vulnerability that allows local users to bypass access restrictions.

2

How do I fix CVE-2014-5033?

To fix CVE-2014-5033, upgrade to KDE kdelibs version 4.14 or newer and KDE KAuth version 5.1 or newer.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2014-5033?

CVE-2014-5033 affects various versions of KDE kdelibs prior to 4.14 and KAuth prior to 5.1, as well as specific versions of Debian and Ubuntu distributions.

4

What can attackers do with CVE-2014-5033?

Attackers can leverage CVE-2014-5033 to execute arbitrary code or perform unauthorized actions by exploiting a race condition.

5

Is CVE-2014-5033 still a risk today?

CVE-2014-5033 poses a risk on systems that have not been updated to fixed versions, as it affects older KDE libraries still in use.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203