CVE-2004-0256 in libtool
Summary
by MITRE
GNU libtool before 1.5.2, during compile time, allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on libtool directories in /tmp.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-0256 represents a critical security flaw in GNU libtool version 1.5.1 and earlier, which operates during the compilation process of software projects. This issue stems from insufficient security controls when libtool handles temporary directories, specifically those located in the /tmp filesystem. The vulnerability enables local attackers to exploit a symbolic link attack by creating malicious symlinks in the temporary directories that libtool uses during compilation, potentially allowing them to overwrite arbitrary files on the system with the privileges of the user executing the compilation process.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of temporary file creation and directory management within the GNU libtool utility. When libtool compiles software packages, it creates temporary directories in /tmp to store intermediate compilation artifacts. The flaw occurs because libtool does not adequately verify the existence and ownership of these temporary directories before writing files to them, making it susceptible to race conditions and symlink attacks. An attacker can manipulate the system by placing symbolic links in the /tmp directory that point to sensitive system files, and when libtool attempts to write to what it believes are temporary files, it actually overwrites the targeted files that the symlinks point to.
This vulnerability has significant operational impact within software development environments where GNU libtool is extensively used for building and compiling software packages. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited by any local user with access to the system, potentially allowing privilege escalation or file corruption attacks. The vulnerability affects systems where users can write to /tmp directories, which is common in shared development environments, build servers, or systems where non-privileged users have compilation access. The consequences can range from unauthorized file modification to potential privilege escalation, depending on the target files and the privileges of the user executing the compilation process.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-377, which addresses insecure temporary file handling, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for execution through command-line interfaces and T1068 for privilege escalation. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to GNU libtool version 1.5.2 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to prevent symlink attacks. Additional protective measures include restricting write permissions to /tmp directories for non-privileged users, implementing proper file system permissions, and ensuring that temporary directories are created with secure, unique naming conventions that prevent predictable paths. System administrators should also consider implementing monitoring for suspicious file operations in temporary directories and conducting regular security audits of development environments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other software components.