#VU75705 UNIX Hard Link in app-misc/uptimed - CVE-2020-36657

Vulnerability identifier: #VU75705

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 5.9 [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:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2020-36657

CWE-ID: CWE-62

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
app-misc/uptimed
Operating systems & Components / Operating system package or component

Vendor: Gentoo

Description

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

The vulnerability exists due to a hardlink following issue. A local user with access to the uptimed user account can create a specially crafted hard link within the /var/spool/uptimed directory and escalate privileges to root.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

app-misc/uptimed: before 0.4.6-r1

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External links
https://bugs.gentoo.org/630810
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202305-14

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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.