# CVE-2010-4170: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local attackers can escalate privileges by manipulating the MODPROBE_OPTIONS environment variable in the SystemTap staprun tool.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 7 Dec 2010
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2010-4170, GHSA-j34m-wwxr-2pj4, RHSA-2010:0895

## What is CVE-2010-4170?

CVE-2010-4170 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 7 Dec 2010. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The staprun runtime tool in SystemTap 1.3 does not properly clear the environment before executing modprobe, which allows local users to gain privileges by setting the MODPROBE_OPTIONS environment variable to specify a malicious configuration file.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2010-4170?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `systemtap` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |
| `systemtap-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |
| `systemtap-runtime` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |
| `systemtap-testsuite` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |
| `systemtap` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |
| `systemtap-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |
| `systemtap-runtime` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |
| `systemtap-testsuite` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |
| `systemtap` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |
| `systemtap-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |
| `systemtap-runtime` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |
| `systemtap-testsuite` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |
| `systemtap` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |
| `systemtap-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |
| `systemtap-runtime` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |
| `systemtap-testsuite` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:0.6.2-2.el4_8.3 |

Products: Systemtap Systemtap.

## How do I fix CVE-2010-4170?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2010-4170 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2010-4170 exists.

Public exploit code:

- SystemTap MODPROBE_OPTIONS Privilege Escalation (metasploit)
- SystemTap - Local Privilege Escalation (exploitdb)
- SystemTap 1.3 - MODPROBE_OPTIONS Privilege Escalation (Metasploit) (exploitdb)
- SystemTap 1.3 - MODPROBE_OPTIONS Privilege Escalation (Metasploit) (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2009-4273](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-4273/): Command injection in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2010-0412](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0412/): Command injection in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2012-0875](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-0875/): Information disclosure in n/a (medium 5.4)
- [CVE-2010-0411](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0411/): Integer overflow in n/a (medium 4.9)
- [CVE-2011-2502](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-2502/): Privilege escalation in n/a (medium 4.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2010-4170 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2010-4170 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 7 Dec 2010. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2010-4170 exists.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-4170/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-4170/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2010-4170
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-4170
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2010-4170

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-4170/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.