CVE-2012-0426 in SUSE Linux Enterprise for SAP Applications
Summary
by MITRE
Race condition in sap_suse_cluster_connector before 1.0.0-0.8.1 in SUSE Linux Enterprise for SAP Applications 11 SP2 allows local users to have an unspecified impact via vectors related to a tmp/ directory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/19/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0426 represents a race condition flaw within the sap_suse_cluster_connector component of SUSE Linux Enterprise for SAP Applications 11 SP2. This race condition specifically affects the handling of temporary directory operations and occurs in versions prior to 1.0.0-0.8.1. The issue arises from improper synchronization mechanisms during temporary file creation and management processes, creating opportunities for malicious local users to exploit the system's temporary directory handling capabilities. The vulnerability falls under the broader category of race conditions as defined by CWE-362, which describes the condition where two or more threads or processes access shared resources concurrently, leading to unpredictable behavior and potential security implications.
The technical implementation of this race condition involves the manipulation of temporary directory structures during cluster connector operations, where local users can potentially interfere with the creation, access, or removal of temporary files. This type of vulnerability can be exploited through timing attacks where an attacker carefully orchestrates their actions to coincide with specific system operations, allowing them to gain unauthorized access to system resources or manipulate the behavior of the cluster connector service. The unspecified impact mentioned in the description suggests that the vulnerability could potentially lead to privilege escalation, information disclosure, or denial of service conditions depending on how the race condition is exploited.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to SAP application environments running on SUSE Linux Enterprise systems. The local user access requirement means that attackers must already have legitimate system access, but the potential impact could be severe given that SAP applications often handle sensitive business data and critical enterprise operations. The race condition could allow an attacker to manipulate temporary files that the cluster connector service uses, potentially leading to unauthorized system modifications or data access. The vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and availability of the SAP cluster environment, as the cluster connector service is essential for maintaining proper communication and coordination between SAP application servers in a clustered environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on updating the sap_suse_cluster_connector component to version 1.0.0-0.8.1 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the race condition. System administrators should also implement proper temporary file handling procedures, including ensuring that temporary directories have appropriate permissions and that file creation operations are properly synchronized. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the update does not introduce compatibility issues with existing SAP applications or cluster configurations. Additionally, monitoring systems should be implemented to detect any suspicious activity related to temporary directory operations, as this vulnerability could potentially be exploited through automated attack scripts. This issue aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and persistence, as local users could potentially establish more persistent access to the system through exploitation of this race condition. Organizations should also consider implementing least privilege principles and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other system components that may be susceptible to race condition exploits.