CVE-2016-2779 Privilege escalation in n/a

High 7.8 Published 7 Feb 2017 Updated 5 Aug 2024

Local attackers can escape restricted sessions to the parent terminal via a crafted ioctl call in util-linux, requiring OS-level patching.

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

What is CVE-2016-2779?

CVE-2016-2779 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 7 Feb 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

Official description

runuser in util-linux allows local users to escape to the parent session via a crafted TIOCSTI ioctl call, which pushes characters to the terminal's input buffer.

Weakness: CWE-264

Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-2779?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Kernel Util-Linux.

How do I fix CVE-2016-2779?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Is CVE-2016-2779 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-2779 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2016-2779, GHSA-7q5h-997q-c4x2, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-2779.