CVE-2015-1590 in Kamailio
Summary
by MITRE
The kamcmd administrative utility and default configuration in kamailio before 4.3.0 use /tmp/kamailio_ctl.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1590 affects the kamailio SIP server software, specifically targeting the kamcmd administrative utility and its default configuration. This issue exists in versions prior to 4.3.0 and represents a significant security flaw that could be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to the system. The problem stems from the utility's improper handling of temporary file paths during administrative operations, creating a potential attack vector that compromises system integrity and confidentiality.
The technical flaw manifests in the default configuration where kamcmd utilizes the /tmp/kamailio_ctl path for its administrative communications. This location is particularly problematic because it is a world-writable directory in Unix-like systems, meaning any user on the system can create or modify files within this location. The vulnerability allows for privilege escalation attacks where an unprivileged user could potentially create malicious symbolic links or files in the /tmp directory, leading to unauthorized command execution with elevated privileges. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of insecure temporary file handling as defined by CWE-377, which specifically addresses the creation of insecure temporary files.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it could enable attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the affected system with the privileges of the kamailio process. This could result in complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or service disruption for organizations relying on kamailio for their SIP communications infrastructure. The attack surface is particularly concerning for telecommunications and VoIP environments where kamailio is commonly deployed, as these systems often handle sensitive communication data and may be critical to business operations.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations by upgrading to kamailio version 4.3.0 or later, which addresses this vulnerability through proper temporary file handling mechanisms. Additionally, system administrators should conduct thorough security audits to ensure that no other applications are using insecure temporary file paths. The remediation process should include verifying that the kamcmd utility no longer creates files in world-writable directories and that proper access controls are in place for all administrative interfaces. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper file system permissions and temporary file management in maintaining system security, aligning with ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and persistence mechanisms.