CVE-2010-2792 in spice-xpi
Summary
by MITRE
Race condition in the SPICE (aka spice-xpi) plug-in 2.2 for Firefox allows local users to obtain sensitive information, and conduct man-in-the-middle attacks, by providing a UNIX socket for communication between this plug-in and the client (aka qspice-client) in qspice 0.3.0, and then accessing this socket.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-2792 represents a critical race condition within the SPICE (Simple Protocol for Independent Computing Environments) Firefox plug-in version 2.2, which creates significant security implications for remote desktop virtualization environments. This issue affects the communication architecture between the SPICE plug-in and the qspice client component, specifically when utilizing UNIX domain sockets for inter-process communication. The race condition occurs during the socket initialization and connection phases, where improper synchronization mechanisms allow for concurrent access to shared resources, creating exploitable conditions that can be leveraged by local attackers.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient access control and synchronization mechanisms within the SPICE plug-in's socket handling code. When the plug-in establishes communication with the qspice client through a UNIX socket, the race condition allows an attacker to manipulate the socket state before proper authentication and authorization checks are completed. This vulnerability operates at the operating system level where the socket permissions and access controls are not properly enforced during the brief window between socket creation and secure connection establishment. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it affects the core communication infrastructure of the virtual desktop environment, potentially allowing attackers to intercept or manipulate data flows between the browser plugin and the remote desktop client.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass full man-in-the-middle attack capabilities. An attacker with local access can exploit this race condition to gain access to sensitive session data, potentially including authentication credentials, session tokens, and other confidential information transmitted through the SPICE protocol. The vulnerability enables attackers to position themselves between the SPICE plug-in and qspice client, allowing them to modify or eavesdrop on communications without detection. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited repeatedly, particularly in environments where multiple users share the same system or where local privilege escalation is possible. The attack can be executed without requiring network access, making it particularly insidious as it operates entirely within the local system environment.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper synchronization mechanisms and access control enforcement within the SPICE plug-in's socket handling code. The most effective approach involves ensuring that all socket operations occur within properly synchronized contexts, preventing concurrent access to shared resources during critical phases of connection establishment. System administrators should implement strict file permissions and ownership controls for the UNIX sockets used by SPICE components, ensuring that only authorized processes can access these communication channels. Additionally, the SPICE plug-in should be updated to include proper authentication checks and secure connection establishment procedures that eliminate the race condition window. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-362, which describes race conditions in security-critical operations, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1046, which covers network service scanning and access, as the vulnerability enables unauthorized access to network communication channels. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts to SPICE communication sockets and ensure that all SPICE components are updated to versions that address this specific race condition vulnerability.