#VU13193 Privilege escalation in apport (Ubuntu package) - CVE-2018-6552

Vulnerability identifier: #VU13193

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 4.5 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2018-6552

CWE-ID: CWE-20

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
apport (Ubuntu package)
Operating systems & Components / Operating system package or component

Vendor: Canonical Ltd.

Description

The vulnerability allows a local attacker to gain elevated privileges or cause DoS condition on the target system.

The vulnerability exists in the apport package used in multiple releases of Ubuntu due to improper handling of core dumps by the affected software when certain files are missing from the /proc directory. A local attacker can send remove certain files from the /proc directory to gain root privileges, deploy malicious code that escapes containers, or cause the service to crash.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

apport (Ubuntu package): 2.20.0 - 2.20.9

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External links
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3664-1/

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.