CVE-2012-10022 in Kloxo
Summary
by MITRE • 08/02/2025
Kloxo versions 6.1.12 and earlier contain two setuid root binaries—lxsuexec and lxrestart—that allow local privilege escalation from uid 48. The lxsuexec binary performs a uid check and permits execution of arbitrary commands as root if the invoking user matches uid 48. This flaw enables attackers with Apache-level access to escalate privileges to root without authentication.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-10022 resides within Kloxo management software versions 6.1.12 and earlier, representing a critical local privilege escalation flaw that directly compromises system security. This issue manifests through two setuid root binaries named lxsuexec and lxrestart which are designed to operate with elevated privileges to perform administrative functions within the Kloxo environment. The flaw specifically targets the lxsuexec binary which contains a critical design vulnerability in its user identification verification mechanism. When lxsuexec executes, it performs a uid check that, due to improper validation logic, allows any user with uid 48 to bypass normal access controls and execute arbitrary commands with root privileges. The uid 48 typically corresponds to the Apache user account in many Linux distributions, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it directly exploits the common scenario where web applications run under Apache user context. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-276, which addresses incorrect permissions for critical resources, and more specifically to CWE-269, which deals with improper privileges for critical resources, as the setuid binaries are improperly configured to grant excessive privileges. The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers who have achieved Apache-level access to immediately escalate their privileges to root without requiring additional authentication or exploitation techniques. The attack vector is straightforward since an attacker only needs to have access to the Apache user account to leverage this privilege escalation mechanism. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability represents a privilege escalation technique under T1068, which involves exploiting vulnerabilities to gain elevated privileges, and specifically targets the technique of local privilege escalation through setuid binaries. The vulnerability's exploitation pathway demonstrates a classic security misconfiguration where administrative binaries are granted unnecessary root privileges without proper access control validation. Organizations running vulnerable Kloxo versions face significant risk of complete system compromise, as attackers can execute arbitrary commands, modify system files, and potentially establish persistent backdoors without requiring additional authentication credentials. The lack of proper authentication requirements for the privilege escalation mechanism creates a direct path to root access that bypasses normal security controls. Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of the Kloxo software to versions that address this vulnerability, removal of the vulnerable setuid binaries if they are not essential, or implementation of additional access controls to restrict Apache user privileges. Additionally, system administrators should conduct comprehensive audits to identify and remove any other setuid binaries that may pose similar risks, as this vulnerability demonstrates the broader problem of improper privilege management in system administration tools. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following security best practices regarding setuid binary usage and privilege separation in web server environments, where the principle of least privilege should always be enforced to prevent such critical escalation paths.