CVE-2001-0178 in KDE
Summary
by MITRE
kdesu program in KDE2 (KDE before 2.2.0-6) does not properly verify the owner of a UNIX socket that is used to send a password, which allows local users to steal passwords and gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2019
The kdesu program in KDE2 versions prior to 2.2.0-6 contains a critical security flaw that undermines the authentication mechanism used for privilege escalation. This vulnerability specifically affects the UNIX socket communication channel that facilitates password transmission between the user interface and the privileged execution component. The flaw stems from inadequate ownership verification during socket creation and access control, creating a pathway for malicious local users to intercept sensitive authentication data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the improper validation of socket ownership within the KDE2 desktop environment. When kdesu executes commands with elevated privileges, it establishes a UNIX socket connection to handle password input securely. However, the program fails to verify that only the intended user process can access this communication channel. This misconfiguration allows any local user to create a malicious socket with the same name or exploit existing socket access patterns to capture password transmissions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper file permissions and access control mechanisms, specifically targeting the weak socket ownership validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple password theft to enable privilege escalation attacks within the KDE desktop environment. Local attackers can leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized administrative access to systems running vulnerable KDE versions. The compromised authentication channel means that any user who can execute the kdesu program can potentially intercept and reuse passwords for other privileged operations, creating a persistent security risk. This vulnerability directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1548.003, which covers abuse of sudo or similar privilege escalation mechanisms through credential theft.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate system updates to KDE2 versions 2.2.0-6 or later, which contain proper socket ownership verification mechanisms. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring for unauthorized socket access patterns and consider restricting kdesu usage to trusted users only. The fix implemented in the patched versions addresses the core issue by enforcing strict socket ownership checks and implementing proper access control lists. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify systems running vulnerable KDE versions and ensure all desktop environments are updated according to vendor security advisories. Additionally, implementing network monitoring solutions can help detect anomalous socket access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.