#VU13987 Improper authorization in PolicyKit - CVE-2018-1116

Vulnerability identifier: #VU13987

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 4.4 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2018-1116

CWE-ID: CWE-285

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
PolicyKit
Client/Desktop applications / Other client software

Vendor: Freedesktop.org

Description

The vulnerability allows a local attacker to obtain potentially sensitive information or cause DoS condition on the target system.

The vulnerability exists due to improper implementation of the polkit_backend_interactive_authority_check_authorization function in the polkitd daemon. A local attacker can test for authentication and trigger authentication of unrelated processes owned by other users to access sensitive information or cause the service to crash.

Mitigation
Update to version 0.116.

Vulnerable software versions

PolicyKit: 0.95 - 0.114

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External links
http://cgit.freedesktop.org/polkit/commit/?id=b0a5d0f1a5b835819da630a6d27ed89dd4d7f464

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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.