CVE-2020-10174: Race Condition

Published Mar 5, 2020
·
Updated

inittmp in TeeJee.FileSystem.vala in Timeshift before 20.03 unsafely reuses a preexisting temporary directory in the predictable location /tmp/timeshift. It follows symlinks in this location or uses directories owned by unprivileged users. Because Timeshift also executes scripts under this location, an attacker can attempt to win a race condition to replace scripts created by Timeshift with attacker-controlled scripts. Upon success, an attacker-controlled script is executed with full root privileges. This logic is practically always triggered when Timeshift runs regardless of the command-line arguments used.

Affected Software

7 affected componentsFixes available
ubuntu/timeshift<19.01+
19.01+
debian/timeshift
20.11.1-122.11.2-124.06.2-1
Timeshift Project Timeshift<20.03
Fedoraproject Fedora=30
Fedoraproject Fedora=31
Fedoraproject Fedora=32
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=19.10

Event History

Mar 5, 2020
CVE Published
via Ubuntu·12:00 AM
CVE Published
via MITRE·03:28 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·03:28 PM
Description
Aug 8, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·11:00 AM
Description

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2020-10174?

CVE-2020-10174 has a medium severity rating due to its potential to allow unauthorized actions through symlink attacks.

2

How do I fix CVE-2020-10174?

To fix CVE-2020-10174, you should update Timeshift to version 20.03 or later.

3

What software is affected by CVE-2020-10174?

CVE-2020-10174 affects Timeshift versions below 20.03 on Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora systems.

4

What conditions lead to CVE-2020-10174 exploitation?

Exploitation of CVE-2020-10174 can occur when Timeshift reuses a predictable temporary directory that can be manipulated by unprivileged users.

5

What are the potential consequences of CVE-2020-10174?

The potential consequences of CVE-2020-10174 include unauthorized execution of scripts that could compromise system security.

Contact

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