#VU59105 Use-after-free in wpa_supplicant - CVE-2021-0535

Vulnerability identifier: #VU59105

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 5.7 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2021-0535

CWE-ID: CWE-416

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
wpa_supplicant
Server applications / Encryption software

Vendor: Jouni Malinen

Description

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

The vulnerability exists due to a use-after-free error in the wpas_ctrl_msg_queue_timeout() function of ctrl_iface_unix.c file in wpa_supplicant. A local user can pass specially crafted data to the application, trigger a use-after-free error and execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

wpa_supplicant: 2.0 - 2.9

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External links
https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/pixel/2021-06-01

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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.