REDHAT-BUG-746713: Low severity Openwall hardlink vulnerability

Published Oct 17, 2011
·
Updated

It was reported, that hardlink, the tool for consolidation of duplicate files via hardlinks operated on full file system objects path names. A local attacker could use this flaw to conduct symlink attacks (cause the hardlink executable to operate on directories / files outside of the intended directory tree).

References: [1] http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/10/15/2 [2] https://bugs.gentoo.org/showbug.cgi?id=387269 [3] http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=645516

Proposed patch (applied by the Owl Linux distribution): [Adds section BUGS into the hardlink(1) man page documenting the danger] [4] http://cvsweb.openwall.com/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/Owl/packages/hardlink/hardlink.1.diff?r1=1.1;r2=1.2

Affected Software

1 affected component
Openwall hardlink

Event History

Oct 17, 2011
Data Sourced
03:38 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of REDHAT-BUG-746713?

REDHAT-BUG-746713 is considered a high severity vulnerability, as it allows local attackers to conduct symlink attacks.

2

How do I fix REDHAT-BUG-746713?

To fix REDHAT-BUG-746713, ensure that you are using an updated version of the Openwall hardlink software, which includes patches addressing this vulnerability.

3

Who is affected by REDHAT-BUG-746713?

Users of the Openwall hardlink utility are affected by REDHAT-BUG-746713, particularly those that allow local access to execute the tool.

4

What is a symlink attack in the context of REDHAT-BUG-746713?

A symlink attack in the context of REDHAT-BUG-746713 refers to the exploitation of the hardlink executable to manipulate file system paths, leading to unintended file access.

5

What are the implications of not addressing REDHAT-BUG-746713?

Not addressing REDHAT-BUG-746713 can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive files and directories by local attackers leveraging symlink vulnerabilities.

Contact

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