CVE-2008-4976 in ogle
Summary
by MITRE
ogle 0.9.2 and ogle-mmx 0.9.2 allow local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on (a) /tmp/ogle_audio.#####, (b) /tmp/ogle_cli.#####, (c) /tmp/ogle_ctrl.#####, (d) /tmp/ogle_gui.#####, (e) /tmp/ogle_mpeg_ps.#####, (f) /tmp/ogle_mpeg_vs.#####, (g) /tmp/ogle_nav.#####, and (h) /tmp/ogle_vout.#####, temporary files, related to the (1) ogle_audio_debug, (2) ogle_cli_debug, (3) ogle_ctrl_debug, (4) ogle_gui_debug, (5) ogle_mpeg_ps_debug, (6) ogle_mpeg_vs_debug, (7) ogle_nav_debug, and (8) ogle_vout_debug scripts.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/14/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-4976 affects the ogle multimedia framework version 0.9.2 and its mmx variant, presenting a critical security flaw that enables local attackers to perform arbitrary file overwrites through symbolic link manipulation. This issue stems from the software's improper handling of temporary files created during debugging operations, specifically targeting eight distinct temporary file locations that are used by various debugging scripts within the ogle ecosystem. The affected temporary files follow a predictable naming pattern with random suffixes, making them susceptible to symlink attacks that can be exploited by malicious users with local access to the system.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insecure creation of temporary files without proper atomic operations or validation of file existence before writing. When the debugging scripts execute, they create temporary files in the /tmp directory with predictable names and random suffixes, but fail to verify whether these files already exist as symbolic links. This insecure pattern allows attackers to establish symbolic links to sensitive system files before the legitimate software attempts to write to these locations, resulting in the attacker's data being written to the targeted files instead of the intended temporary locations. The vulnerability specifically impacts debugging functionality within ogle's audio, command line interface, control, graphical user interface, mpeg program stream, mpeg video stream, navigation, and video output components, each with their own debug script that creates these vulnerable temporary files.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it provides local attackers with a means to overwrite arbitrary files on the system, potentially leading to privilege escalation or system compromise. Attackers can leverage this flaw to replace critical system binaries, configuration files, or other sensitive data with malicious content, thereby gaining unauthorized control over the affected system. The vulnerability's exploitation requires local system access but does not require special privileges beyond what a regular user already possesses, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where users might have access to systems running vulnerable ogle versions. This type of attack aligns with the common ATT&CK technique of privilege escalation through file system manipulation and falls under CWE-377, which addresses insecure temporary file creation, or CWE-378, which covers creation of temporary files with insecure permissions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of affected ogle installations to versions that properly handle temporary file creation using secure methods such as creating files with exclusive access flags or using secure temporary directory mechanisms. System administrators should also implement proper file system permissions and monitoring to detect unauthorized symbolic link creation in temporary directories. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices for temporary file handling and highlights the need for proper input validation and atomic file creation operations. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing automated security scanning tools to identify similar insecure temporary file patterns in other applications and ensure that debugging scripts do not create predictable temporary file locations that could be exploited through symlink attacks.