Skip to main content

Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')

CVE-2008-4832

Medium
6.9/10

Summary

rc.sysinit in initscripts 8.12-8.21 and 8.56.15-0.1 on rPath allows local users to delete arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a directory under (1) /var/lock or (2) /var/run. NOTE: this issue exists because of a race condition in an incorrect fix for CVE-2008-3524. NOTE: exploitation may require an unusual scenario in which rc.sysinit is executed other than at boot time.

  • MEDIUM
  • LOCAL
  • NONE
  • COMPLETE
  • COMPLETE
  • COMPLETE

CWE-59 - Improper Link Resolution Before File Access

'Improper link resolution before file access' occurs when software accesses a file resource but fails to verify that the file isn't a link or shortcut to another file. An attacker can potentially gain access to arbitrary files and from there the impact can vary, depending on the application, from sensitive data exposure to remote code execution.

References

Advisory Timeline

  • Published