March 29, 2024 at 07:09AM
A vulnerability in the “wall” command of the util-linux package, tracked as CVE-2024-28085, allows unprivileged users to manipulate other users’ terminals on certain Linux distributions. This could lead to password leaks or clipboard alteration. Users are advised to update to util-linux version 2.40 to address this issue. Another vulnerability, CVE-2024-1086, in the Linux kernel’s netfilter subsystem has also been detailed.
Key takeaways from the meeting notes are as follows:
– A vulnerability has been discovered in the “wall” command of the util-linux package, tracked as CVE-2024-28085 and codenamed WallEscape. It stems from improper neutralization of escape sequences and can lead to leaking user passwords or altering the clipboard on certain Linux distributions.
– The vulnerability was introduced in August 2013 and is exploited via improperly filtered escape sequences provided through command line arguments, allowing users to create a fake SUDO prompt on other users’ terminals and trick them into entering their passwords.
– The impact is seen on Ubuntu 22.04 and Debian Bookworm, where the mesg utility is set to “y” and the wall command is executed with setgid permissions.
– Additionally, a use-after-free vulnerability in the netfilter subsystem in the Linux kernel, assigned the CVE identifier CVE-2024-1086, has been detailed, allowing a local attacker to cause a denial-of-service condition or possibly execute arbitrary code.
It is advised that users update to util-linux version 2.40 to mitigate against the CVE-2024-28085 flaw.