CVE-2016-2057 in Xymon
Summary
by MITRE
lib/xymond_ipc.c in Xymon 4.1.x, 4.2.x, and 4.3.x before 4.3.25 use weak permissions (666) for an unspecified IPC message queue, which allows local users to inject arbitrary messages by writing to that queue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2057 affects Xymon monitoring software versions 4.1.x through 4.3.x prior to 4.3.25. This issue resides within the lib/xymond_ipc.c component of the software and represents a significant security flaw that undermines the integrity of the system's inter-process communication mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically involves the improper configuration of permissions for an IPC message queue, which creates an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by local attackers to manipulate system behavior.
The technical flaw manifests through the use of weak file permissions set to 666 for an unspecified IPC message queue within the Xymon monitoring framework. This permission setting allows any local user to write to the message queue, effectively bypassing normal access controls and security boundaries that should normally restrict such operations. The 666 permission mode grants read and write access to all users, including unprivileged local accounts, which fundamentally violates the principle of least privilege and creates a direct attack vector for message injection.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables local users to inject arbitrary messages into the IPC queue, potentially leading to various security consequences including data manipulation, denial of service conditions, and potential privilege escalation scenarios. The ability to inject malicious messages into the monitoring system could result in false alerts, corrupted monitoring data, or even system instability. Attackers could exploit this to disrupt monitoring operations, hide malicious activities from detection, or manipulate system state information that other components rely upon for decision-making processes.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-732, which describes improper permission assignment for critical resources, and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this issue maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and defense evasion through manipulation of system components. The weakness creates a persistent backdoor that can be exploited repeatedly by local users without requiring additional privileges or complex attack chains, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have access to the system.
Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided patch for Xymon version 4.3.25 or later to resolve this vulnerability. Additionally, system administrators should review and tighten IPC permissions throughout the system to ensure that similar issues do not exist in other components. The remediation process should include verifying that all IPC mechanisms use appropriate permission settings that restrict access to authorized processes only, following the principle of least privilege. Regular security audits of IPC configurations and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts should also be implemented as part of comprehensive security controls to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in the future.