CVE-2010-0439 in Deliver
Summary
by MITRE
Chip Salzenberg Deliver allows local users to cause a denial of service, obtain sensitive information, and possibly change the ownership of arbitrary files via a symlink attack on an unspecified file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/03/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-0439 affects the Chip Salzenberg Deliver utility, a tool commonly used in software distribution and package management contexts. This flaw represents a significant security weakness that can be exploited by local attackers to compromise system integrity and availability. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of symbolic links during file operations, creating opportunities for privilege escalation and information disclosure. The affected system components typically handle file creation, modification, and access control decisions, making this a critical concern for environments where deliver utilities are employed for package management or software deployment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a symlink attack that exploits the lack of proper file system validation in the deliver utility. When the utility processes files that contain symbolic links, it fails to adequately verify the target of these links before performing operations such as file creation, modification, or ownership changes. This weakness allows attackers to manipulate the file system by creating carefully crafted symbolic links that point to sensitive system files or directories. The flaw specifically manifests when the utility follows symbolic links without proper authorization checks, potentially leading to unauthorized file access, modification, or ownership transfer. This behavior aligns with common weaknesses described in CWE-59 and CWE-362, which address improper handling of symbolic links and race conditions in file operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to encompass serious security implications including privilege escalation and information disclosure. Local attackers can leverage this weakness to gain elevated privileges by manipulating file ownership, potentially accessing restricted system resources or modifying critical configuration files. The ability to change file ownership represents a particularly dangerous aspect as it can enable attackers to gain persistent access to system resources or compromise the integrity of system packages. Additionally, the vulnerability may allow information disclosure through unauthorized access to sensitive files that are typically protected by access controls, undermining the confidentiality of system data and potentially exposing credentials or system configuration details.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-0439 should focus on implementing proper symbolic link validation and access control measures within the deliver utility. System administrators should ensure that all affected deliver utilities are updated to versions that properly validate symbolic links and implement appropriate authorization checks before performing file operations. The implementation of proper file system access controls and the use of sandboxed execution environments can help reduce the attack surface for this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect suspicious symbolic link creation patterns and unauthorized file ownership changes. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, specifically targeting the T1068 privilege escalation technique and T1552 credential access. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in other system utilities and applications that may be susceptible to similar symbolic link attacks.