Vulnerabilities > CVE-2013-1888 - Link Following vulnerability in multiple products

047910
CVSS 2.1 - LOW
Attack vector
LOCAL
Attack complexity
LOW
Privileges required
NONE
Confidentiality impact
NONE
Integrity impact
PARTIAL
Availability impact
NONE
local
low complexity
pypa
fedoraproject
CWE-59
nessus

Summary

pip before 1.3 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a file in the /tmp/pip-build temporary directory.

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

  • Symlink Attack
    An attacker positions a symbolic link in such a manner that the targeted user or application accesses the link's endpoint, assuming that it is accessing a file with the link's name. The endpoint file may be either output or input. If the file is output, the result is that the endpoint is modified, instead of a file at the intended location. Modifications to the endpoint file may include appending, overwriting, corrupting, changing permissions, or other modifications. In some variants of this attack the attacker may be able to control the change to a file while in other cases they cannot. The former is especially damaging since the attacker may be able to grant themselves increased privileges or insert false information, but the latter can also be damaging as it can expose sensitive information or corrupt or destroy vital system or application files. Alternatively, the endpoint file may serve as input to the targeted application. This can be used to feed malformed input into the target or to cause the target to process different information, possibly allowing the attacker to control the actions of the target or to cause the target to expose information to the attacker. Moreover, the actions taken on the endpoint file are undertaken with the permissions of the targeted user or application, which may exceed the permissions that the attacker would normally have.
  • Accessing, Modifying or Executing Executable Files
    An attack of this type exploits a system's configuration that allows an attacker to either directly access an executable file, for example through shell access; or in a possible worst case allows an attacker to upload a file and then execute it. Web servers, ftp servers, and message oriented middleware systems which have many integration points are particularly vulnerable, because both the programmers and the administrators must be in synch regarding the interfaces and the correct privileges for each interface.
  • Leverage Executable Code in Non-Executable Files
    An attack of this type exploits a system's trust in configuration and resource files, when the executable loads the resource (such as an image file or configuration file) the attacker has modified the file to either execute malicious code directly or manipulate the target process (e.g. application server) to execute based on the malicious configuration parameters. Since systems are increasingly interrelated mashing up resources from local and remote sources the possibility of this attack occurring is high. The attack can be directed at a client system, such as causing buffer overrun through loading seemingly benign image files, as in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-028 where specially crafted JPEG files could cause a buffer overrun once loaded into the browser. Another example targets clients reading pdf files. In this case the attacker simply appends javascript to the end of a legitimate url for a pdf (http://www.gnucitizen.org/blog/danger-danger-danger/) http://path/to/pdf/file.pdf#whatever_name_you_want=javascript:your_code_here The client assumes that they are reading a pdf, but the attacker has modified the resource and loaded executable javascript into the client's browser process. The attack can also target server processes. The attacker edits the resource or configuration file, for example a web.xml file used to configure security permissions for a J2EE app server, adding role name "public" grants all users with the public role the ability to use the administration functionality. The server trusts its configuration file to be correct, but when they are manipulated, the attacker gains full control.
  • Manipulating Input to File System Calls
    An attacker manipulates inputs to the target software which the target software passes to file system calls in the OS. The goal is to gain access to, and perhaps modify, areas of the file system that the target software did not intend to be accessible.

Nessus

  • NASL familyGentoo Local Security Checks
    NASL idGENTOO_GLSA-201309-05.NASL
    descriptionThe remote host is affected by the vulnerability described in GLSA-201309-05 (pip: Multiple vulnerabilities) Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in pip. Please review the CVE identifiers referenced below for details. Impact : A remote attacker could conduct a Man-in-the-Middle attack to cause pip to execute arbitrary code. A local attacker could perform symlink attacks to overwrite arbitrary files with the privileges of the user running the application. Workaround : There is no known workaround at this time.
    last seen2020-06-01
    modified2020-06-02
    plugin id69861
    published2013-09-13
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2013-2018 Tenable Network Security, Inc.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/69861
    titleGLSA-201309-05 : pip: Multiple vulnerabilities
    code
    #
    # (C) Tenable Network Security, Inc.
    #
    # The descriptive text and package checks in this plugin were
    # extracted from Gentoo Linux Security Advisory GLSA 201309-05.
    #
    # The advisory text is Copyright (C) 2001-2015 Gentoo Foundation, Inc.
    # and licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution / Share Alike 
    # license. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
    #
    
    include("compat.inc");
    
    if (description)
    {
      script_id(69861);
      script_version("1.5");
      script_cvs_date("Date: 2018/08/10 18:07:07");
    
      script_cve_id("CVE-2013-1629", "CVE-2013-1888");
      script_xref(name:"GLSA", value:"201309-05");
    
      script_name(english:"GLSA-201309-05 : pip: Multiple vulnerabilities");
      script_summary(english:"Checks for updated package(s) in /var/db/pkg");
    
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"synopsis", 
        value:
    "The remote Gentoo host is missing one or more security-related
    patches."
      );
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"description", 
        value:
    "The remote host is affected by the vulnerability described in GLSA-201309-05
    (pip: Multiple vulnerabilities)
    
        Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in pip. Please review the
          CVE identifiers referenced below for details.
      
    Impact :
    
        A remote attacker could conduct a Man-in-the-Middle attack to cause pip
          to execute arbitrary code. A local attacker could perform symlink attacks
          to overwrite arbitrary files with the privileges of the user running the
          application.
      
    Workaround :
    
        There is no known workaround at this time."
      );
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"see_also",
        value:"https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201309-05"
      );
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"solution", 
        value:
    "All pip users should upgrade to the latest version:
          # emerge --sync
          # emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose '>=dev-python/pip-1.3.1'"
      );
      script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C");
    
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:gentoo:linux:pip");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:gentoo:linux");
    
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"patch_publication_date", value:"2013/09/12");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2013/09/13");
      script_end_attributes();
    
      script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
      script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2013-2018 Tenable Network Security, Inc.");
      script_family(english:"Gentoo Local Security Checks");
    
      script_dependencies("ssh_get_info.nasl");
      script_require_keys("Host/local_checks_enabled", "Host/Gentoo/release", "Host/Gentoo/qpkg-list");
    
      exit(0);
    }
    
    
    include("audit.inc");
    include("global_settings.inc");
    include("qpkg.inc");
    
    if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
    if (!get_kb_item("Host/Gentoo/release")) audit(AUDIT_OS_NOT, "Gentoo");
    if (!get_kb_item("Host/Gentoo/qpkg-list")) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);
    
    
    flag = 0;
    
    if (qpkg_check(package:"dev-python/pip", unaffected:make_list("ge 1.3.1"), vulnerable:make_list("lt 1.3.1"))) flag++;
    
    if (flag)
    {
      if (report_verbosity > 0) security_warning(port:0, extra:qpkg_report_get());
      else security_warning(0);
      exit(0);
    }
    else
    {
      tested = qpkg_tests_get();
      if (tested) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_NOT_AFFECTED, tested);
      else audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_NOT_INSTALLED, "pip");
    }
    
  • NASL familyFedora Local Security Checks
    NASL idFEDORA_2013-6762.NASL
    description1.3.1, fix for CVE-2013-1888, insecure tempdir usage. Update of python-pip to 1.1 from upstream Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.
    last seen2020-03-17
    modified2013-05-06
    plugin id66323
    published2013-05-06
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2013-2020 Tenable Network Security, Inc.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/66323
    titleFedora 18 : python-pip-1.3.1-1.fc18 (2013-6762)
    code
    #%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80502
    #
    # (C) Tenable Network Security, Inc.
    #
    # The descriptive text and package checks in this plugin were  
    # extracted from Fedora Security Advisory 2013-6762.
    #
    
    include("compat.inc");
    
    if (description)
    {
      script_id(66323);
      script_version("1.8");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2020/03/12");
    
      script_bugtraq_id(59613);
      script_xref(name:"FEDORA", value:"2013-6762");
    
      script_name(english:"Fedora 18 : python-pip-1.3.1-1.fc18 (2013-6762)");
      script_summary(english:"Checks rpm output for the updated package.");
    
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"synopsis", 
        value:"The remote Fedora host is missing a security update."
      );
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"description", 
        value:
    "1.3.1, fix for CVE-2013-1888, insecure tempdir usage. Update of
    python-pip to 1.1 from upstream
    
    Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding
    description block directly from the Fedora security advisory. Tenable
    has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible
    without introducing additional issues."
      );
      # https://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2013-May/104592.html
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"see_also",
        value:"http://www.nessus.org/u?2d5d5750"
      );
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"solution", 
        value:"Update the affected python-pip package."
      );
      script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N");
      script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:ND/RL:OF/RC:C");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");
    
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:fedoraproject:fedora:python-pip");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:fedoraproject:fedora:18");
    
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"patch_publication_date", value:"2013/04/26");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2013/05/06");
      script_end_attributes();
    
      script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
      script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2013-2020 Tenable Network Security, Inc.");
      script_family(english:"Fedora Local Security Checks");
    
      script_dependencies("ssh_get_info.nasl");
      script_require_keys("Host/local_checks_enabled", "Host/RedHat/release", "Host/RedHat/rpm-list");
    
      exit(0);
    }
    
    
    include("audit.inc");
    include("global_settings.inc");
    include("rpm.inc");
    
    if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
    release = get_kb_item("Host/RedHat/release");
    if (isnull(release) || "Fedora" >!< release) audit(AUDIT_OS_NOT, "Fedora");
    os_ver = eregmatch(pattern: "Fedora.*release ([0-9]+)", string:release);
    if (isnull(os_ver)) audit(AUDIT_UNKNOWN_APP_VER, "Fedora");
    os_ver = os_ver[1];
    if (! ereg(pattern:"^18([^0-9]|$)", string:os_ver)) audit(AUDIT_OS_NOT, "Fedora 18.x", "Fedora " + os_ver);
    
    if (!get_kb_item("Host/RedHat/rpm-list")) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);
    
    cpu = get_kb_item("Host/cpu");
    if (isnull(cpu)) audit(AUDIT_UNKNOWN_ARCH);
    if ("x86_64" >!< cpu && cpu !~ "^i[3-6]86$") audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_IMPLEMENTED, "Fedora", cpu);
    
    flag = 0;
    if (rpm_check(release:"FC18", reference:"python-pip-1.3.1-1.fc18")) flag++;
    
    
    if (flag)
    {
      if (report_verbosity > 0) security_note(port:0, extra:rpm_report_get());
      else security_note(0);
      exit(0);
    }
    else
    {
      tested = pkg_tests_get();
      if (tested) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_NOT_AFFECTED, tested);
      else audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_NOT_INSTALLED, "python-pip");
    }
    
  • NASL familyFedora Local Security Checks
    NASL idFEDORA_2013-8193.NASL
    description - Fixes two security issues with the bundled copy of pip : - Insecure tempdir usage CVE-2013-1888 - Uses http:// to download packages instead of https:// See changelog at: http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv#id2 Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. See changelog at: http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv#id2 Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. See changelog at: http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv#id2 Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.
    last seen2020-03-17
    modified2013-05-24
    plugin id66578
    published2013-05-24
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2013-2020 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/66578
    titleFedora 18 : python-virtualenv-1.9.1-1.fc18 (2013-8193)
  • NASL familyFedora Local Security Checks
    NASL idFEDORA_2013-6727.NASL
    description1.3.1, fix for CVE-2013-1888, insecure tempdir usage. Update of python-pip to 1.1 from upstream Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.
    last seen2020-03-17
    modified2013-05-06
    plugin id66322
    published2013-05-06
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2013-2020 Tenable Network Security, Inc.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/66322
    titleFedora 17 : python-pip-1.3.1-1.fc17 (2013-6727)
  • NASL familyFedora Local Security Checks
    NASL idFEDORA_2013-6701.NASL
    description1.3.1, fix for CVE-2013-1888, insecure tempdir usage. Update of python-pip to 1.1 from upstream Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.
    last seen2020-03-17
    modified2013-05-03
    plugin id66299
    published2013-05-03
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2013-2020 Tenable Network Security, Inc.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/66299
    titleFedora 19 : python-pip-1.3.1-1.fc19 (2013-6701)
  • NASL familyFedora Local Security Checks
    NASL idFEDORA_2013-8166.NASL
    description - Fixes two security issues with the bundled copy of pip : - Insecure tempdir usage CVE-2013-1888 - Uses http:// to download packages instead of https:// See changelog at: http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv#id2 Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. See changelog at: http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv#id2 Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. See changelog at: http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv#id2 Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.
    last seen2020-03-17
    modified2013-05-26
    plugin id66599
    published2013-05-26
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2013-2020 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/66599
    titleFedora 19 : python-virtualenv-1.9.1-1.fc19 (2013-8166)
  • NASL familyFedora Local Security Checks
    NASL idFEDORA_2013-8221.NASL
    description - Fixes two security issues with the bundled copy of pip : - Insecure tempdir usage CVE-2013-1888 - Uses http:// to download packages instead of https:// See changelog at: http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv#id2 Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. See changelog at: http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv#id2 Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. See changelog at: http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv#id2 Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. Multiple bugfixes. See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv/1.7.1.2 for information. Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.
    last seen2020-03-17
    modified2013-05-24
    plugin id66580
    published2013-05-24
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2013-2020 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/66580
    titleFedora 17 : python-virtualenv-1.9.1-1.fc17 (2013-8221)