Detections
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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2017-18078

high Nessus Plugin ID 220907

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Synopsis

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be patched.

Description

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied patch available.

 - systemd-tmpfiles in systemd before 237 attempts to support ownership/permission changes on hardlinked files even if the fs.protected_hardlinks sysctl is turned off, which allows local users to bypass intended access restrictions via vectors involving a hard link to a file for which the user lacks write access, as demonstrated by changing the ownership of the /etc/passwd file. (CVE-2017-18078)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.

Solution

There is no known solution at this time.

See Also

https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2017-18078

https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2017-18078

Plugin Details

Severity: High

ID: 220907

File Name: unpatched_CVE_2017_18078.nasl

Version: 1.3

Type: local

Agent: unix

Family: Misc.

Published: 3/4/2025

Updated: 9/3/2025

Supported Sensors: Frictionless Assessment AWS, Frictionless Assessment Azure, Frictionless Assessment Agent, Nessus Agent, Agentless Assessment, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 6.7

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: Medium

Base Score: 4.6

Temporal Score: 3.6

Vector: CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2017-18078

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 7.8

Temporal Score: 7

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:P/RL:O/RC:C

Vulnerability Information

CPE: cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:-:lts, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:systemd-resolved, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:systemd-sysv, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:systemd-resolved, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:systemd-sysv, cpe:/o:centos:centos:7, cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:libgudev1, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:libgudev1-devel, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:systemd, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:systemd-devel, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:systemd-journal-gateway, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:systemd-libs, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:systemd-networkd, p-cpe:/a:centos:centos:systemd-python, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:libgudev1, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:libgudev1-devel, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:systemd, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:systemd-devel, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:systemd-journal-gateway, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:systemd-libs, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:systemd-networkd, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:systemd-python, p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:systemd, cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:-:lts

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/cpu, global_settings/vendor_unpatched, Host/OS/identifier

Exploit Available: true

Exploit Ease: Exploits are available

Vulnerability Publication Date: 1/29/2018

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2017-18078