CVE-2017-14180 in Apport
Summary
by MITRE
Apport 2.13 through 2.20.7 does not properly handle crashes originating from a PID namespace allowing local users to create certain files as root which an attacker could leverage to perform a denial of service via resource exhaustion or possibly gain root privileges, a different vulnerability than CVE-2017-14179.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14180 affects Apport versions 2.13 through 2.20.7, representing a critical security flaw in the Ubuntu crash reporting system that enables local privilege escalation and denial of service attacks. This issue specifically relates to how Apport handles crash reports originating from processes running within PID namespaces, creating a significant vector for attackers to exploit system privileges and potentially gain root access. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of file creation operations during crash processing, where certain file paths are not properly validated or restricted, allowing malicious users to create arbitrary files with root permissions.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs within Apport's crash handling mechanism when it processes crash reports from applications running in PID namespaces. When a process crashes within such an environment, Apport attempts to create crash report files in specific directories without adequate validation of the process context or namespace boundaries. This allows a local attacker to manipulate the crash reporting process to create files in system directories that would normally require root privileges to modify. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the system level where Apport has elevated privileges to handle crash reporting, making it an attractive target for privilege escalation attacks. The flaw is categorized under CWE-22 as improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, and it aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers exploit for privilege escalation.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-14180 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to include potential denial of service conditions that can severely impact system availability. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to create files in critical system locations, potentially consuming system resources or corrupting system files to cause system instability. The resource exhaustion aspect of this vulnerability allows attackers to fill up disk space or create malformed files that could cause system services to crash or become unresponsive. Additionally, the privilege escalation capability means that local users could potentially gain root access to the system, enabling them to execute arbitrary commands, modify system files, or establish persistent backdoors. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in multi-user environments where local users might not have legitimate reasons to create files with root privileges.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-14180 should focus on immediate patching of affected Apport versions, with the recommended approach being an upgrade to Apport version 2.20.8 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed. System administrators should implement additional monitoring of crash reporting directories and file creation patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability can also be mitigated through proper system hardening measures including restricting access to crash reporting directories, implementing file integrity monitoring, and ensuring that only authorized users have access to system crash handling mechanisms. Network segmentation and least privilege principles should be enforced to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, while regular security audits should be conducted to verify that the system remains protected against similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing automated patch management systems to ensure rapid deployment of security updates across all affected systems.