CVE-2014-3533 in D-bus
Summary
by MITRE
dbus 1.3.0 before 1.6.22 and 1.8.x before 1.8.6 allows local users to cause a denial of service (disconnect) via a certain sequence of crafted messages that cause the dbus-daemon to forward a message containing an invalid file descriptor.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-3533 affects the D-Bus message bus system, a critical component in Linux and Unix-based operating systems that facilitates communication between applications. This issue exists in D-Bus versions prior to 1.6.22 and 1.8.6, representing a significant security flaw that can be exploited by local attackers to disrupt system services. The vulnerability specifically targets the dbus-daemon process which serves as the central hub for D-Bus communication, making it a prime target for denial of service attacks that can compromise system stability and availability.
The technical flaw manifests when the dbus-daemon receives a sequence of crafted messages that contain invalid file descriptors. This particular vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of file descriptor parameters within the message handling mechanism. When the daemon processes these malformed messages, it attempts to forward them to other applications, but encounters issues when dealing with the invalid file descriptor values. This processing error causes the daemon to disconnect from the message bus, effectively breaking communication between applications that depend on D-Bus for inter-process communication. The flaw operates at the protocol level within the D-Bus implementation, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect the entire system's messaging infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can potentially affect multiple system components that rely on D-Bus for communication. Local users with minimal privileges can exploit this weakness to cause system instability, leading to cascading failures in applications that depend on proper D-Bus functionality. The denial of service condition can persist until the dbus-daemon process is manually restarted or the system is rebooted, creating operational downtime that may affect critical system services. This vulnerability particularly impacts desktop environments and server configurations where D-Bus is extensively used for application communication, potentially allowing attackers to degrade system performance or availability.
Security researchers have categorized this vulnerability under CWE-119, which deals with insufficient output validation, and it aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates how improper input validation in system-level components can lead to significant availability issues, as it allows local privilege escalation to achieve denial of service conditions. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems, as the vulnerability exists in widely deployed versions of D-Bus, making it a common target for exploitation. System administrators should also implement monitoring for unusual D-Bus daemon behavior and consider implementing access controls to limit local user capabilities that could be leveraged for this attack vector. The fix involves updating to D-Bus versions 1.6.22 or later, or 1.8.6 and later, which include proper validation of file descriptor parameters in message processing routines.