The rm_rf_children function in util.c in the systemd-logind login manager in systemd before 44, when logging out, allows local users to delete arbitrary files via a symlink attack on unspecified files, related to "particular records related with user session."

local attackers could delete arbitrary system files by exploiting a race condition in systemd-logind

A vulnerability has been found and corrected in systemd :

A TOCTOU race condition was found in the way the systemd-logind login manager of the systemd, a system and service manager for Linux, performed removal of particular records related with user session upon user logout. A local attacker could use this flaw to conduct symbolic link attacks, potentially leading to removal of arbitrary system file (CVE-2012-1174).

The updated packages have been patched to correct this issue.

This update fixes :

  - a bug that could be exploited to delete arbitrary     directories.

    - F17 blocker bug 805942.

Forward-compatible short command names `loginctl`, `journalctl` were added.

Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.

This update fixes a bug that could be exploited to delete arbitrary directories.

Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.

ID	Name	Product	Family	Severity
74571	openSUSE Security Update : systemd (openSUSE-SU-2012:0383-1)	Nessus	SuSE Local Security Checks	low
61946	Mandriva Linux Security Advisory : systemd (MDVSA-2012:030)	Nessus	Mandriva Local Security Checks	low
58863	Fedora 17 : systemd-44-6.fc17 (2012-6456)	Nessus	Fedora Local Security Checks	low
58467	Fedora 15 : systemd-26-18.fc15 (2012-4024)	Nessus	Fedora Local Security Checks	low
58466	Fedora 16 : systemd-37-17.fc16 (2012-4018)	Nessus	Fedora Local Security Checks	low

Detections

Analytics

CVE-2012-1174

medium

Tenable Plugins

low

low

low

low

low