CVE-2010-4512 in Cobbler
Summary
by MITRE
Cobbler before 2.0.4 uses an incorrect umask value, which allows local users to have an unspecified impact by leveraging world writable permissions for files and directories.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-4512 affects Cobbler versions prior to 2.0.4, representing a significant security flaw in the system management and automation tool. Cobbler is widely used for provisioning and managing Linux systems, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on automated deployment processes. The issue stems from improper umask configuration during file creation, which creates a fundamental weakness in the system's permission model and file security controls.
The technical flaw manifests through an incorrect umask value that is applied when Cobbler creates files and directories during its operation. A umask is a permission setting that determines the default access rights for newly created files and directories, and when improperly configured, it can result in overly permissive access controls. In this case, the incorrect umask value allows local users to create files with world-writable permissions, meaning any user on the system can modify or delete these files. This misconfiguration effectively undermines the principle of least privilege and creates potential attack vectors for privilege escalation and data manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple permission issues, as it enables local users to potentially compromise the integrity of the Cobbler environment and the systems it manages. When files and directories are created with world-writable permissions, malicious users can inject malicious content, modify configuration files, or manipulate deployment processes to gain unauthorized access to system resources. This vulnerability can be leveraged to escalate privileges, corrupt system configurations, or disrupt automated provisioning workflows that depend on the integrity of Cobbler's file system. The unspecified impact mentioned in the description suggests that the consequences could range from information disclosure to complete system compromise depending on how the vulnerable permissions are exploited.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-732, which addresses Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resources, and demonstrates how improper access control configuration can create serious security implications. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw would fall under the ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves exploiting local system permissions to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to system resources. Organizations using Cobbler should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to version 2.0.4 or later, manually correcting umask settings in the Cobbler configuration, and conducting thorough security audits of existing Cobbler-managed systems to identify and remediate any compromised files or directories. Regular monitoring of file permissions and implementing automated security scanning tools can help detect similar issues in other system components that may be subject to similar umask configuration vulnerabilities.