CVE-2019-15790: Apport reads PID files with elevated privileges
First published: Mon Apr 27 2020(Updated: )
Apport reads and writes information on a crashed process to /proc/pid with elevated privileges. Apport then determines which user the crashed process belongs to by reading /proc/pid through get_pid_info() in data/apport. An unprivileged user could exploit this to read information about a privileged running process by exploiting PID recycling. This information could then be used to obtain ASLR offsets for a process with an existing memory corruption vulnerability. The initial fix introduced regressions in the Python Apport library due to a missing argument in Report.add_proc_environ in apport/report.py. It also caused an autopkgtest failure when reading /proc/pid and with Python 2 compatibility by reading /proc maps. The initial and subsequent regression fixes are in 2.20.11-0ubuntu16, 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.6, 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.12, 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.22 and 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm3.
Credit: security@ubuntu.com
| Affected Software | Affected Version | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| Python 3 Apport | ||
| Ubuntu Linux | =14.04 | |
| Ubuntu Linux | =16.04 | |
| Ubuntu Linux | =18.04 | |
| Ubuntu Linux | =19.04 | |
| Ubuntu Linux | =19.10 | |
| Ubuntu | =14.04 | |
| Ubuntu | =16.04 | |
| Ubuntu | =18.04 | |
| Ubuntu | =19.04 | |
| Ubuntu | =19.10 |
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Reference Links
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172858/Ubuntu-Apport-Whoopsie-DoS-Integer-Overflow.html
- https://bugs.launchpad.net/apport/+bug/1854237
- https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apport/+bug/1839795
- https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apport/+bug/1850929
- https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apport/+bug/1851806
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4171-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4171-2/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4171-3/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4171-4/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4171-5/
- https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2019-15790
- https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2019-15790
- https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2019-15790
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-15790
- https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2019-15790
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2019-15790?
CVE-2019-15790 has been classified as a medium-severity vulnerability due to the potential for unprivileged users to read sensitive information.
How do I fix CVE-2019-15790?
To mitigate CVE-2019-15790, update Apport to the latest version provided by your operating system's package manager.
Which software is affected by CVE-2019-15790?
CVE-2019-15790 affects Ubuntu versions 14.04, 16.04, 18.04, 19.04, and 19.10 using the Apport project.
Can CVE-2019-15790 be exploited remotely?
CVE-2019-15790 does not allow for remote exploitation as it requires local access to the affected system.
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2019-15790?
CVE-2019-15790 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability that allows unprivileged users to access sensitive crash data.
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