CVE-2023-3972 Insights-client: unsafe handling of temporary files and directories

High 7.8 Published Updated

Local attackers can escalate privileges to root by pre-creating a temporary directory, allowing arbitrary code execution as root after registration.

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-2023-3972?

CVE-2023-3972 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux, published on 1 Nov 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

Official description

A vulnerability was found in insights-client. This security issue occurs because of insecure file operations or unsafe handling of temporary files and directories that lead to local privilege escalation. Before the insights-client has been registered on the system by root, an unprivileged local user or attacker could create the /var/tmp/insights-client directory (owning the directory with read, write, and execute permissions) on the system. After the insights-client is registered by root, an attacker could then control the directory content that insights are using by putting malicious scripts into it and executing arbitrary code as root (trivially bypassing SELinux protections because insights processes are allowed to disable SELinux system-wide).

Weakness: CWE-668, CWE-379

Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-3972?

It affects 19 products.

Linux distribution packages (14)
insights-client Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientAll versions0:3.1.9-1.el7_9
insights-client Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::serverAll versions0:3.1.9-1.el7_9
insights-client Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstationAll versions0:3.1.9-1.el7_9
insights-client Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamAll versions0:3.2.2-1.el8_8
insights-client Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamAll versions0:3.2.2-1.el9_2
insights-client Red Hat:rhel_aus:8.2::appstreamAll versions0:3.2.3-1.el8_2
insights-client Red Hat:rhel_aus:8.4::appstreamAll versions0:3.2.3-1.el8_4
insights-client Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.1::appstreamAll versions0:3.2.3-1.el8_1
insights-client Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.2::appstreamAll versions0:3.2.3-1.el8_2
insights-client Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.4::appstreamAll versions0:3.2.3-1.el8_4
insights-client Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.6::appstreamAll versions0:3.2.2-1.el8_6
insights-client Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.0::appstreamAll versions0:3.2.2-1.el9_0
insights-client Red Hat:rhel_tus:8.2::appstreamAll versions0:3.2.3-1.el8_2
insights-client Red Hat:rhel_tus:8.4::appstreamAll versions0:3.2.3-1.el8_4

Products include Redhat Enterprise Linux, Redhat Enterprise Linux Aus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop, Redhat Enterprise Linux Eus, Redhat Enterprise Linux for Arm 64, Redhat Enterprise Linux for Arm 64 Eus and 13 more.

How do I fix CVE-2023-3972?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Is CVE-2023-3972 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-3972 in the wild and no public exploit code.

All Redhat Enterprise Linux vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as GHSA-37f3-8h34-h4xf, RHSA-2023:6264, RHSA-2023:6282, RHSA-2023:6283, RHSA-2023:6284, RHSA-2023:6795 and 3 more.

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