Vulnerabilities > CVE-2018-13054 - Link Following vulnerability in multiple products

047910
CVSS 8.1 - HIGH
Attack vector
NETWORK
Attack complexity
LOW
Privileges required
NONE
Confidentiality impact
NONE
Integrity impact
HIGH
Availability impact
HIGH
network
low complexity
debian
linuxmint
CWE-59
nessus

Summary

An issue was discovered in Cinnamon 1.9.2 through 3.8.6. The cinnamon-settings-users.py GUI runs as root and allows configuration of (for example) other users' icon files in _on_face_browse_menuitem_activated and _on_face_menuitem_activated. These icon files are written to the respective user's $HOME/.face location. If an unprivileged user prepares a symlink pointing to an arbitrary location, then this location will be overwritten with the icon content.

Vulnerable Configurations

Part Description Count
OS
Debian
1
Application
Linuxmint
104

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 familySuSE Local Security Checks
    NASL idOPENSUSE-2019-534.NASL
    descriptionThis update for cinnamon fixes the following issues : Security issue fixed : - CVE-2018-13054: Fix symlink attack vulnerability (boo#1083067).
    last seen2020-06-01
    modified2020-06-02
    plugin id123225
    published2019-03-27
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2019-2020 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/123225
    titleopenSUSE Security Update : cinnamon (openSUSE-2019-534)
  • NASL familyFedora Local Security Checks
    NASL idFEDORA_2018-64AF4D2108.NASL
    descriptionFix CVE-2018-13054 cinnamon: privilege escalation in cinnamon-settings-users.py GUI Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora update system website. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.
    last seen2020-06-05
    modified2018-07-24
    plugin id111242
    published2018-07-24
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2018-2020 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/111242
    titleFedora 27 : cinnamon (2018-64af4d2108)
  • NASL familyDebian Local Security Checks
    NASL idDEBIAN_DLA-1420.NASL
    descriptionIt was discovered that there was a symlink attack in the Cinnamon desktop environment. An attacker could overwrite an arbitrary file on the filesystem via a $HOME/.face icon file (as the cinnamon-settings-users.py GUI runs as root). For Debian 8
    last seen2020-06-01
    modified2020-06-02
    plugin id111080
    published2018-07-16
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2018 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/111080
    titleDebian DLA-1420-1 : cinnamon security update
  • NASL familyFedora Local Security Checks
    NASL idFEDORA_2018-C785C43A8F.NASL
    descriptionFix CVE-2018-13054 cinnamon: privilege escalation in cinnamon-settings-users.py GUI Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora update system website. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.
    last seen2020-06-05
    modified2019-01-03
    plugin id120781
    published2019-01-03
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2019-2020 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/120781
    titleFedora 28 : cinnamon (2018-c785c43a8f)
  • NASL familySuSE Local Security Checks
    NASL idOPENSUSE-2018-768.NASL
    descriptionThis update for cinnamon fixes the following issues : Security issue fixed : - CVE-2018-13054: Fix symlink attack vulnerability (boo#1083067).
    last seen2020-06-05
    modified2018-07-30
    plugin id111420
    published2018-07-30
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2018-2020 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/111420
    titleopenSUSE Security Update : cinnamon (openSUSE-2018-768)
  • NASL familySuSE Local Security Checks
    NASL idOPENSUSE-2018-767.NASL
    descriptionThis update for cinnamon fixes the following issues : Security issue fixed : - CVE-2018-13054: Fix symlink attack vulnerability (boo#1083067). Bug fixes : - Update to version 3.4.6 (changes since 3.4.4) : - osdWindow.js: Always check the theme node on first showing - an actor
    last seen2020-06-05
    modified2018-07-30
    plugin id111419
    published2018-07-30
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2018-2020 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/111419
    titleopenSUSE Security Update : cinnamon (openSUSE-2018-767)