CVE-2005-1917 in kpopper
Summary
by MITRE
kpopper 1.0 and earlier allows local users to create and overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the .popper-new temporary file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1917 affects kpopper version 1.0 and earlier, representing a classic file system security flaw that enables local attackers to manipulate file operations through symbolic link manipulation. This issue stems from inadequate temporary file handling mechanisms within the application's design, creating opportunities for privilege escalation and data corruption scenarios.
The technical flaw manifests through a symlink attack against the .popper-new temporary file used by kpopper during its operation. When the application creates temporary files without proper validation of symbolic link existence, malicious users can establish malicious symlinks that point to sensitive system files or directories. This allows attackers to write data to arbitrary locations on the file system, potentially overwriting critical configuration files, system binaries, or user data. The vulnerability operates at the file system level and exploits the trust relationship between the application and its temporary file creation process.
This vulnerability presents significant operational impact for systems running affected versions of kpopper, particularly in multi-user environments where local privilege escalation could lead to unauthorized system access. The attack requires local system access but does not need network connectivity, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users have shell access. The potential for overwriting arbitrary files could result in system instability, data loss, or complete system compromise depending on the target files and the privileges of the affected application. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-377: Insecure Temporary File and CWE-378: Creation of Temporary File With Insecure Permissions, both of which are fundamental security issues in file handling operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching to version 1.1 or later where the temporary file handling has been corrected. System administrators should implement proper file permission controls and validate the existence of temporary files before creating them. The solution involves modifying the application to use secure temporary file creation methods such as open() with O_EXCL flag or creating temporary files in directories with restricted permissions. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and ensuring that applications do not follow symbolic links when creating temporary files would prevent this class of attack. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1548.002 for abuse of sudo, as local attackers could leverage this to escalate privileges or maintain persistence through file system manipulation. Organizations should also consider implementing file integrity monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized file modifications that might result from exploitation of this vulnerability.