Texinfo 'texindex' Unsafe Temporary File May Let Local Users Gain Elevated Privileges
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SecurityTracker Alert ID: 1014992
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SecurityTracker URL: http://securitytracker.com/id?1014992
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CVE Reference: CVE-2005-3011
(Links to External Site)
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Updated: Jun 4 2008
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Original Entry Date: Sep 30 2005
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Impact: Modification of system information, Modification of user information, User access via local system
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Description: A vulnerability was reported in Texinfo. A local user may be able to gain elevated privileges.
The texindex command uses temporary files in an unsafe manner. A local user can create a symbolic link (symlink) from a critical
file on the system to a predictably named temporary file to be used by texindex. Then, when texindex is run, the symlinked file
will be created or overwritten with the privileges of the texindex process.
The software only creates these temporary files when
processing a file with more than 50,000 lines.
The vulnerability resides in the maketempname() function.
Frank Lichtenheld
discovered this vulnerability.
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Impact: A local user can gain elevated privileges on the target system.
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Solution: No solution was available at the time of this entry.
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Cause: Access control error, State error
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Underlying OS: Linux (Any), UNIX (Any)
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Message History:
None.
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Source Message Contents
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Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 02:16:39 -0400
Subject: texindex vulnerability
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> The texindex command uses predictable temporary filenames.
CVE: CAN-2005-3011
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