Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in ipmitool Package
Summary
DEBIAN-CVE-2011-4339: ipmievd (aka the IPMI event daemon) in OpenIPMI, as used in the ipmitool package 1.8.11 in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 6, Debian GNU/Linux, Fedora 16, and other products uses 0666 permissions for its ipmievd.pid PID... Affects ipmitool versions < 1.8.11-5. Fixed in 1.8.11-5. How to fix ↓
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Background
The ipmitool package is a command-line utility used for managing and configuring devices that support the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI). It allows users to perform various tasks such as monitoring system health, managing power, and accessing system logs. The package is widely used in server management and is integral to many Linux distributions, including Debian. However, a security flaw has been identified in the ipmievd component of the package, which could allow local users to exploit system vulnerabilities.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability, identified as DEBIAN-CVE-2011-4339, originates from the ipmievd (IPMI event daemon) in OpenIPMI. It has been reported that this daemon uses 0666 permissions for its ipmievd.pid PID file. This permissive setting allows local users to write to the PID file, potentially enabling them to kill arbitrary processes. This could lead to unauthorized access or disruption of services, posing a significant security risk to systems running affected versions of ipmitool.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
1.8.11-5
This is the first release that contains the fix.
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade ipmitoolTip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, system administrators can change the permissions of the ipmievd.pid file to restrict access. This can be done by executing the following command: 'chmod 0644 /var/run/ipmievd.pid'. However, this is not a permanent solution and updating the package is strongly advised.
Conclusion
The ipmitool package has a significant vulnerability that allows local users to exploit system processes due to improper file permissions. It is crucial for users to update to the patched version to mitigate risks associated with this vulnerability. Temporary workarounds can be applied, but they do not replace the need for an update.
See every vulnerability recorded for ipmitool →
FAQ
The vulnerability allows local users to kill arbitrary processes, which can lead to unauthorized access and disruption of services.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
Yes, a patched version of the ipmitool package (1.8.11-5 or later) is available. Updating to this version will resolve the vulnerability.
As a temporary measure, you can change the permissions of the ipmievd.pid file to restrict access, but this is not a permanent fix.
Detailed information can be found in the Debian security advisory and the CVE database for DEBIAN-CVE-2011-4339.
References
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for ipmitool.
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