CVE-2014-1935 in 9base
Summary
by MITRE
9base 1:6-6 and 1:6-7 insecurely creates temporary files which results in predictable filenames.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-1935 affects the 9base package version 1:6-6 and 1:6-7, specifically targeting the insecure creation of temporary files within the software ecosystem. This issue represents a significant security weakness that can be exploited by malicious actors to compromise system integrity and potentially escalate privileges. The root cause lies in the predictable naming convention used for temporary files, which violates fundamental security principles for temporary file handling in Unix-like systems.
The technical flaw stems from the predictable filename generation mechanism employed by 9base during temporary file creation processes. When applications generate temporary files, they typically use randomized or unique naming schemes to prevent attackers from anticipating or guessing file locations. However, in this case, the software creates temporary files with predictable names that can be easily anticipated by an attacker. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-377 - Insecure Temporary File and CWE-379 - Creation of Temporary File With Insecure Permissions, both of which are categorized under weak temporary file handling practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation scenarios and can enable various attack vectors including but not limited to temporary file replacement attacks, symlink attacks, and potential privilege escalation to root or other high-privilege accounts. Attackers can exploit the predictable filenames to create malicious files that will be processed by the vulnerable software, potentially leading to code execution or unauthorized access to sensitive system resources. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in multi-user environments where attackers may attempt to manipulate temporary files created by other users or system processes.
From an attack perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1055 - Process Injection and T1074 - Data Staged, as attackers can leverage predictable temporary files to stage malicious payloads or inject code into legitimate processes. The vulnerability also relates to T1548.001 - Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism, as it provides potential paths for privilege escalation. Organizations using affected versions of 9base should consider immediate remediation through patch updates or temporary workarounds that implement proper temporary file handling mechanisms including the use of secure temporary directory permissions and randomized filename generation. The fix typically involves modifying the software to use secure temporary file creation functions such as mkstemp() or mkdtemp() instead of the vulnerable predictable naming approaches.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper temporary file handling in software development practices. The issue highlights the need for developers to follow secure coding guidelines and avoid predictable file naming patterns, particularly in system utilities and applications that may run with elevated privileges. Organizations should also implement proper monitoring and logging of temporary file creation activities to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain audit trails for security incident response activities.