New Glibc Flaw Grants Attackers Root Access on Major Linux Distros

New Glibc Flaw Grants Attackers Root Access on Major Linux Distros

January 31, 2024 at 01:24AM

A new security flaw in the GNU C library (glibc) allows local attackers to gain full root access on Linux machines. Tracked as CVE-2023-6246, the vulnerability impacts major Linux distributions and could be exploited to obtain elevated permissions through specially crafted inputs. Further analysis uncovered additional flaws in glibc, emphasizing the need for strict security measures.

Key Takeaways from the Meeting Notes:
– A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the GNU C library (glibc) has been identified as CVE-2023-6246, allowing local privilege escalation on Linux machines.
– The vulnerability impacts major Linux distributions like Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora.
– The flaw affects applications using specific logging and sorting functions, notably __vsyslog_internal() and qsort(), with an impact on all glibc versions released since 1992.
– Three additional flaws in the __vsyslog_internal() function (CVE-2023-6779, CVE-2023-6780) and a bug in qsort() were also uncovered.
– It’s important to emphasize the critical need for strict security measures in software development, especially for widely used core libraries.
– Following the release of Looney Tunables (CVE-2023-4911), the need for heightened security measures has been further underscored.

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