Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in cifs-utils: Command Injection Risk
Summary
ALPINE-CVE-2020-14342: It was found that cifs-utils' mount.cifs was invoking a shell when requesting the Samba password, which could be used to inject arbitrary commands. Affects cifs-utils versions < 0. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
cifs-utils is a package that provides utilities for mounting and managing CIFS (Common Internet File System) shares on Linux systems. It allows users to connect to and interact with shared resources on Windows servers and other CIFS-compatible systems. The package is essential for environments that require file sharing across different operating systems. However, a vulnerability has been identified in cifs-utils that could allow an attacker to escalate privileges through command injection.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability arises from the way cifs-utils' mount.cifs command handles user input when requesting the Samba password. Specifically, it invokes a shell, which can be exploited by an attacker to inject arbitrary commands. If an attacker has the ability to execute mount.cifs with elevated permissions, such as through misconfigured sudo rules, they could leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access or escalate their privileges within the system. This vulnerability is classified with a CVSS score of 7.0, indicating a high severity level.
How To Fix
To fix this vulnerability, it is recommended to update the cifs-utils package to the patched version. For Alpine Linux, users should upgrade to version 6.13-r0 or later for versions 3.11 and 6.11-r0 or later for version 3.13.
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Workaround
As a temporary workaround, users can avoid using mount.cifs with elevated permissions until the package is updated. Additionally, consider restricting access to the mount.cifs command through appropriate user permissions and sudo configurations.
Conclusion
The cifs-utils package has a critical vulnerability that can lead to privilege escalation through command injection. Users are advised to update to the latest patched versions to mitigate this risk. Until an update can be applied, it is crucial to implement workarounds to limit exposure to this vulnerability.
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FAQ
cifs-utils is a package that provides tools for mounting and managing CIFS shares on Linux systems, facilitating file sharing with Windows servers.
The vulnerability allows for command injection through the mount.cifs command, potentially enabling privilege escalation for attackers.
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If immediate updates are not possible, restrict access to the mount.cifs command and avoid using it with elevated permissions as a temporary measure.
The CVSS score of this vulnerability is 7.0, indicating a high severity level that requires prompt attention.
References
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