REDHAT-BUG-546117: Medium severity NetworkManager nm-connection-editor vulnerability

Published Dec 10, 2009
·
Updated

+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #546115 +++

nm-connection-editor may inadvertently publish network configuration settings over D-Bus when a user changes those settings using the connection editor. D-Bus gives all clients a bus name (usually 1:XXX where XXX is an ever-increasing number) whenever the client connects to the bus. Even though this client is not exporting a /named/ service, it is still on the bus and if the client exports an object (even inadvertently, without registering a well-known bus name) signals emitted by that object will also be proxied onto the bus.

nm-connection-editor inadvertently exported connection objects on the bus, and when a user changes those connections though the connection editor GUI, the editor may emit a summary of those changes onto the bus, leading to the information disclosure.

1) start 'dbus-monitor --system' in a terminal 2) run nm-connection-editor 3) edit a connection that has secrets, like a protected wifi network 4) Upon clicking the "Apply" button, check the dbus-monitor terminal window; the wifi network password may have been emitted as part of the "Updated" signal for that connection

This is only a problem for NM 0.7.x present in Fedora <= 11 and RHEL5. The problem has been long corrected in NM 0.8 (F12+). Upstream commit to 0.7.x fixing this problem is here:

http://git.gnome.org/cgit/network-manager-applet/commit/?h=NETWORKMANAGERAPPLET07&id=8627880e07c8345f69ed639325280c7f62a8f894

Affected Software

1 affected component
NetworkManager nm-connection-editor

Event History

Dec 10, 2009
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·03:08 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the vulnerability ID for this issue?

The vulnerability ID for this issue is REDHAT-BUG-546117.

2

What version of GNOME Network Manager is affected by REDHAT-BUG-546117?

GNOME Network Manager versions up to 0.7.x are affected by REDHAT-BUG-546117.

3

How can the issue in REDHAT-BUG-546117 be mitigated?

The issue in REDHAT-BUG-546117 can be mitigated by keeping the Network Manager updated to the latest version.

4

What products are known to be impacted by REDHAT-BUG-546117?

The impacted products include GNOME Network Manager, Fedora Network Manager, and Red Hat RHEL up to version 5.

5

Is there a risk of sensitive data exposure due to REDHAT-BUG-546117?

Yes, REDHAT-BUG-546117 may inadvertently publish network configuration settings which poses a risk of sensitive data exposure.

Contact

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