CVE-2019-11481: Apport reads arbitrary files if ~/.config/apport/settings is a symlink
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.
Affected Software
Event History
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.