CVE-2019-3697 in Leap
Summary
by MITRE
UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in the packaging of gnump3d in openSUSE Leap 15.1 allows local attackers to escalate from user gnump3d to root. This issue affects: openSUSE Leap 15.1 gnump3d version 3.0-lp151.2.1 and prior versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2024
The vulnerability CVE-2019-3697 represents a critical symbolic link following weakness in the gnump3d package distribution within openSUSE Leap 15.1 operating system. This issue manifests as a local privilege escalation vulnerability that enables attackers with user-level access to elevate their privileges to the root level. The vulnerability specifically targets the packaging mechanism of gnump3d version 3.0-lp151.2.1 and earlier releases, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's security model and gain unauthorized administrative control.
The technical flaw resides in how the gnump3d package handles symbolic link resolution during its installation or execution process. When the package processes symbolic links, it fails to properly validate or sanitize the target paths, allowing an attacker to manipulate the link resolution behavior. This misconfiguration creates an opportunity for attackers to create malicious symbolic links that point to sensitive system files or directories. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and inadequate path resolution mechanisms within the package management system, which directly relates to CWE-367 weakness category focusing on time-of-check to time-of-use race conditions and improper handling of symbolic links.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows local attackers to bypass the standard user-to-root privilege escalation barriers that typically protect system integrity. Once exploited, attackers can gain root access to the system, enabling them to modify critical system files, install malicious software, access sensitive data, and completely compromise the system's security posture. The vulnerability affects systems running openSUSE Leap 15.1 with the affected gnump3d package versions, making it particularly concerning for organizations that rely on this specific distribution and software stack. This privilege escalation vector can be exploited by any local user account, significantly expanding the potential attack surface and reducing the overall system security.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-3697 should focus on immediate package updates and system hardening measures. Organizations should prioritize updating the gnump3d package to version 3.0-lp151.2.3 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the symbolic link handling issues. System administrators should also implement additional security controls such as disabling unnecessary user accounts, implementing proper file permissions, and monitoring for suspicious symbolic link creation activities. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers privilege escalation through local exploits, making it essential for security teams to monitor for indicators of compromise related to symbolic link manipulation and unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. Regular system audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues in other packages and system components to prevent future exploitation attempts.