CVE-2010-4005 in tomboy
Summary
by MITRE
The (1) tomboy and (2) tomboy-panel scripts in GNOME Tomboy 1.5.2 and earlier place a zero-length directory name in the LD_LIBRARY_PATH, which allows local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse shared library in the current working directory. NOTE: vector 1 exists because of an incorrect fix for CVE-2005-4790.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/28/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-4005 affects the GNOME Tomboy note-taking application version 1.5.2 and earlier, specifically targeting the tomboy and tomboy-panel scripts that are part of the application's execution process. This issue represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability that exploits how the application handles library loading paths during execution. The flaw occurs when these scripts improperly construct the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable by including a zero-length directory name, creating an exploitable condition that allows local attackers to execute malicious code with elevated privileges.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable within the shell scripts. When a zero-length directory name is included in LD_LIBRARY_PATH, it effectively creates a path that resolves to the current working directory. This behavior violates the fundamental security principle that library paths should be explicitly defined and not rely on implicit current directory resolution. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows an attacker to place a malicious shared library file in the current working directory, which will then be loaded and executed by the tomboy application when it runs with elevated privileges. This creates a direct path for privilege escalation attacks that can be exploited by local users to gain higher system access levels.
This vulnerability operates under the principle of library injection attacks, where an attacker manipulates the dynamic linker's library search path to load malicious code. The flaw specifically relates to CWE-426, which describes the insecure handling of the library search path, and also connects to CWE-276, which addresses incorrect permissions for critical resources. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to systems where users might execute tomboy with elevated privileges, as the attack requires only local access and knowledge of the current working directory. The attack vector is particularly insidious because it leverages a previously fixed vulnerability (CVE-2005-4790) that was incorrectly remediated, creating a regression that reintroduces the security flaw.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can be exploited to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the tomboy process. This could potentially allow attackers to access sensitive information, modify system files, or establish persistence mechanisms within the target system. The vulnerability's exploitation requires that an attacker have access to the system and be able to place files in directories where tomboy might execute, but the low barrier to entry makes it particularly concerning for environments where multiple users share systems. The issue also demonstrates the importance of proper regression testing when fixing security vulnerabilities, as the incorrect fix for CVE-2005-4790 inadvertently created this new vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-4005 should focus on both immediate remediation and long-term security hardening. The most effective immediate solution is to upgrade to a patched version of GNOME Tomboy that properly handles the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable without including zero-length directory entries. System administrators should also implement proper file permissions and directory access controls to limit where malicious libraries could be placed. Additional security measures include monitoring for unauthorized modifications to system directories and implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict which executables can be run with elevated privileges. The vulnerability also highlights the need for regular security audits of system scripts and proper validation of environment variable handling in shell scripts to prevent similar issues from occurring in other applications. Organizations should also consider implementing security awareness training for system administrators to recognize and properly address security regression issues that may arise during software maintenance and updates.