# CVE-2016-1579: UDM doesn't check for confinement before running post-processing commands

> Confined applications can bypass security restrictions to execute arbitrary commands as the phablet user via the Ubuntu Download Manager API.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.7 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 22 Apr 2019
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-gvpc-fhpp-hm84, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-1579

## What is CVE-2016-1579?

CVE-2016-1579 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Ubuntu Download Manager, published on 22 Apr 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

UDM provides support for running commands after a download is completed, this is currently made use of for click package installation. This functionality was not restricted to unconfined applications. Before UDM version 1.2+16.04.20160408-0ubuntu1 any confined application could make use of the UDM C++ API to run arbitrary commands in an unconfined environment as the phablet user.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-1579?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Canonical Ubuntu Download Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-1579?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2016-1579 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-1579 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-1579 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-1579 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Ubuntu Download Manager, published on 22 Apr 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-1579 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ubuntu Download Manager. 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-2016-1579/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1579/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-1579
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-1579
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-1579

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1579/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.