#VU53837 Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls in polkit - CVE-2021-3560

Vulnerability identifier: #VU53837

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 8.5 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:A/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2021-3560

CWE-ID: CWE-264

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: Yes

Vulnerable software:
polkit
Other software / Other software solutions

Vendor: Freedesktop.org

Description

The vulnerability allows a local user to escalate privileges on the system.

The vulnerability exists due to application does not properly impose security restrictions in the "polkit_system_bus_name_get_creds_sync" function, which leads to security restrictions bypass and privilege escalation.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

polkit: 0.113 - 0.118

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External links
https://seclists.org/oss-sec/2021/q2/180
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/polkit/polkit/-/commit/a04d13a

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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?

Yes. This vulnerability is being exploited in the wild.