CVE-2014-1839 in openSUSE
Summary
by MITRE
The Execute class in shellutils in logilab-commons before 0.61.0 uses tempfile.mktemp, which allows local users to have an unspecified impact by pre-creating the temporary file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-1839 resides within the shellutils module of logilab-commons library version 0.60.0 and earlier, presenting a significant security risk through its improper handling of temporary file creation. This flaw manifests in the Execute class where the implementation relies on tempfile.mktemp function instead of the more secure tempfile.mkstemp alternative. The use of mktemp creates a predictable race condition vulnerability that can be exploited by local attackers to manipulate the system's temporary file handling mechanisms. The vulnerability falls under CWE-377 which specifically addresses the use of insecure temporary files, making it a direct descendant of well-established security principles regarding temporary file management in software systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the fundamental design flaw in how temporary files are created within the Execute class. When tempfile.mktemp is invoked, it generates a temporary filename without properly securing the file creation process, leaving a window of opportunity for malicious actors to pre-create files with the same names that the application intends to use. This race condition allows attackers to place malicious content in the temporary file location before the legitimate application creates its own temporary file, potentially leading to privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution. The impact is particularly severe because the vulnerable code path is part of the shell utilities functionality, which often operates with elevated privileges when executing system commands.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple local privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to manipulate the execution flow of shell commands through carefully crafted temporary file content. Since the Execute class is designed to handle system command execution, an attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially inject malicious code that gets executed when the application creates its temporary file. This creates a scenario where the attacker can influence the behavior of legitimate system utilities and potentially gain unauthorized access to system resources. The vulnerability's impact is amplified because it affects applications that rely on logilab-commons for shell command execution, which is a common pattern in many system administration and automation tools.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-1839 require immediate updates to the logilab-commons library to version 0.61.0 or later, where the problematic tempfile.mktemp usage has been replaced with secure tempfile.mkstemp implementation. Security administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of systems that utilize logilab-commons to identify all potential attack vectors and ensure that applications are updated to the patched versions. Additionally, system administrators should implement proper temporary file permissions and monitoring to detect unauthorized modifications to temporary file locations. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Secure Coding Practices, specifically addressing the avoidance of insecure temporary file creation methods that can lead to race condition exploits. Organizations should also consider implementing process isolation and privilege separation techniques to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities even when present in legacy systems.