CVE-2001-0424 in Bubblemon
Summary
by MITRE
BubbleMon 1.31 does not properly drop group privileges before executing programs, which allows local users to execute arbitrary commands with the kmem group id.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2001-0424 affects BubbleMon version 1.31, a system monitoring tool that fails to properly relinquish group privileges during program execution. This flaw represents a classic privilege escalation issue where the application maintains elevated group permissions while executing other programs, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by local attackers. The specific group affected is kmem, which provides access to kernel memory and sensitive system resources. This vulnerability falls under the category of improper privilege handling and can be classified as CWE-279, indicating an incorrect privilege assignment or improper privilege management in software systems. The issue stems from the application's failure to properly implement privilege separation mechanisms during its execution lifecycle.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when BubbleMon 1.31 executes external programs or system commands while running with elevated group privileges. The application does not explicitly drop its group permissions before invoking these operations, allowing the executing processes to inherit the kmem group ID. This inheritance enables local users to execute arbitrary commands with kernel-level privileges, effectively bypassing normal access controls and system security boundaries. The flaw demonstrates poor security coding practices and violates fundamental security principles such as the principle of least privilege, where applications should operate with the minimum necessary permissions to perform their functions. Attackers can exploit this condition by crafting malicious inputs or by manipulating the execution environment to trigger the vulnerable code path.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it provides local users with unauthorized access to kernel memory and system resources that should normally be restricted. This privilege escalation capability can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with system-level privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The kmem group ID provides access to sensitive kernel data structures and memory regions that can be exploited for information disclosure, system manipulation, or further attack vector establishment. The vulnerability affects systems where BubbleMon is installed and running with elevated group permissions, making it particularly dangerous in environments where local user access is not strictly controlled. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers privilege escalation through the exploitation of system vulnerabilities, and T1548, covering abuse of group permissions for privilege escalation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper privilege dropping mechanisms within the BubbleMon application. The most effective approach involves modifying the software to explicitly drop group privileges before executing any external programs or system commands. This can be achieved through system calls such as setgroups, setgid, or similar privilege management functions that ensure the application operates with reduced permissions. System administrators should also consider implementing mandatory access controls and privilege separation policies to limit the impact of such vulnerabilities. Additionally, regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar privilege management issues in other system components. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and implementing proper privilege separation, which aligns with security standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Secure Coding Practices and NIST guidelines for secure software development. Organizations should also maintain updated system monitoring tools and regularly patch known vulnerabilities to prevent exploitation of similar privilege escalation flaws.