CVE-2019-11481: Apport reads arbitrary files if ~/.config/apport/settings is a symlink
First published: Sat Feb 08 2020(Updated: )
Kevin Backhouse discovered that apport would read a user-supplied configuration file with elevated privileges. By replacing the file with a symbolic link, a user could get apport to read any file on the system as root, with unknown consequences.
Credit: security@ubuntu.com
| Affected Software | Affected Version | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu | =14.04 | |
| Ubuntu | =16.04 | |
| Ubuntu | =18.04 | |
| Ubuntu | =19.04 | |
| Ubuntu | =19.10 | |
| Ubuntu Python3-apport |
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Reference Links
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172858/Ubuntu-Apport-Whoopsie-DoS-Integer-Overflow.html
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-4171-1
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-4171-2
- https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2019-11481
- https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2019-11481
- https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2019-11481
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-11481
- https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2019-11481
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2019-11481?
CVE-2019-11481 is considered a high-severity vulnerability due to its potential to allow unauthorized file access with elevated privileges.
How do I fix CVE-2019-11481?
To fix CVE-2019-11481, users should update their Ubuntu installations to the latest patched versions provided by Canonical.
Who is affected by CVE-2019-11481?
CVE-2019-11481 affects users of Ubuntu Linux versions 14.04, 16.04, 18.04, 19.04, and 19.10 that utilize the Apport utility.
What can an attacker gain from CVE-2019-11481?
An attacker exploiting CVE-2019-11481 can read arbitrary files on the system as root, which may lead to further unauthorized access or data exposure.
Is there a workaround for CVE-2019-11481?
Currently, there are no recommended workarounds for CVE-2019-11481; applying the security update is the best mitigation.
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