CVE-2009-0115 in multipath-tools
Summary
by MITRE
The Device Mapper multipathing driver (aka multipath-tools or device-mapper-multipath) 0.4.8, as used in SUSE openSUSE, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES), Fedora, and possibly other operating systems, uses world-writable permissions for the socket file (aka /var/run/multipathd.sock), which allows local users to send arbitrary commands to the multipath daemon.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-0115 resides within the Device Mapper multipathing driver implementation, specifically affecting version 0.4.8 and distributed across multiple enterprise and open source operating systems including SUSE openSUSE, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, and Fedora. This critical security flaw manifests through improper file permission configuration where the multipath daemon socket file located at /var/run/multipathd.sock is created with world-writable permissions, creating a significant attack surface that undermines the security posture of systems relying on multipath storage configurations. The Device Mapper multipathing functionality serves as a crucial component for managing redundant storage paths in enterprise environments, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it directly impacts storage subsystem integrity and availability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the world-writable socket file that facilitates communication between user-space applications and the multipath daemon process. Local attackers with minimal privileges can leverage this misconfiguration to establish connections to the multipath daemon and execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the daemon process itself. This represents a classic privilege escalation vector where insufficient access controls on critical system resources enable unauthorized modification of daemon behavior. The underlying flaw aligns with CWE-732, which specifically addresses inadequate permissions for critical system resources, and demonstrates how improper file system permissions can create security boundaries that are easily bypassed by local users. The multipath daemon typically operates with elevated privileges to manage storage paths and device mappings, making any unauthorized access to its communication interface particularly dangerous.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to manipulate storage path configurations, potentially leading to data accessibility issues, storage availability disruptions, or even complete system compromise through storage-based attacks. In enterprise environments where multipath storage is commonly deployed for high availability and fault tolerance, this vulnerability could be exploited to disrupt critical storage operations, cause data loss scenarios, or provide attackers with additional attack vectors for lateral movement within the network infrastructure. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it requires no network connectivity or remote access capabilities, as the exploitation occurs entirely within the local system context. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves local privilege escalation through exploitation of system vulnerabilities, and can be leveraged as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks within compromised systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-0115 should focus on immediate remediation through proper permission configuration of the multipath daemon socket file, ensuring that only authorized processes can access the communication interface. System administrators should implement proper file system permissions that restrict access to the socket file to the multipath daemon user and relevant system administrators. The recommended approach involves setting appropriate ownership and permissions on /var/run/multipathd.sock to prevent world-writable access, typically through chmod operations that restrict access to root or designated multipath daemon user accounts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing automated monitoring and alerting for unauthorized access attempts to critical system sockets, as well as applying security patches and updates to multipath-tools packages that address this specific vulnerability. Regular security audits of system file permissions and daemon configurations should be conducted to prevent similar misconfigurations from occurring in other system components, reinforcing the principle of least privilege and proper access control implementation that is fundamental to secure system administration practices.