REDHAT-BUG-458652: Medium severity initscripts vulnerability

Published Aug 11, 2008
·
Updated

Description of problem:

Description of problem:

/etc/rc.sysinit makes

| find -L /var/lock /var/run ! -type d -exec rm -f {} \;

at every start. It is common practice to have daemon-writable subdirs below /var/run or /var/lock (e.g. /var/run/openldap). When such a daemon is compromised, an attack could create a

| /var/run/openldap/foo -> /

symlink which wipes whole system at next startup.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):

initscripts-8.76.2-1.x8664

How reproducible:

100%

Steps to Reproduce: 1. mkdir /var/run/foo 2. chown nobody:nobody /var/run/foo 3. runuser nobody -s /bin/sh 'ln -s / /var/run/foo/bar' 4. reboot

Actual results:

a lot of 'command not found' errors on startup

Additional info:

Kudos to Herbert Poetzl about discovering this vulnerability.

Affected Software

1 affected component
Red Hat initscripts

Event History

Aug 11, 2008
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·11:38 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of REDHAT-BUG-458652?

The severity of REDHAT-BUG-458652 is classified as medium due to potential security implications from improper directory handling.

2

How do I fix REDHAT-BUG-458652?

To fix REDHAT-BUG-458652, update Red Hat initscripts to the latest version where the issue has been addressed.

3

What does REDHAT-BUG-458652 affect?

REDHAT-BUG-458652 specifically affects the Red Hat initscripts related to the handling of /var/run and /var/lock directories.

4

Is REDHAT-BUG-458652 a security vulnerability?

Yes, REDHAT-BUG-458652 poses a security vulnerability by allowing potential data loss for files in daemon-writable subdirectories.

5

What is the impact of not addressing REDHAT-BUG-458652?

Not addressing REDHAT-BUG-458652 can lead to compromised system integrity and service disruptions due to unintended file deletions.

Contact

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