# CVE-2023-3972: Insights-client: unsafe handling of temporary files and directories > Local attackers can escalate privileges to root by pre-creating a temporary directory, allowing arbitrary code execution as root after registration. - **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 1 Nov 2023 - **Updated:** 6 Apr 2026 - **Also known as:** GHSA-37f3-8h34-h4xf, RHSA-2023:6264, RHSA-2023:6282, RHSA-2023:6283, RHSA-2023:6284, RHSA-2023:6795, RHSA-2023:6796, RHSA-2023:6798, RHSA-2023:6811 ## 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 (Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere), CWE-379 (Creation of Temporary File in Directory with Insecure Permissions) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-3972? It affects 19 products. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `insights-client` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:3.1.9-1.el7_9 | | `insights-client` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:3.1.9-1.el7_9 | | `insights-client` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:3.1.9-1.el7_9 | | `insights-client` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:3.2.2-1.el8_8 | | `insights-client` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.2.2-1.el9_2 | | `insights-client` | Red Hat:rhel_aus:8.2::appstream | All versions | 0:3.2.3-1.el8_2 | | `insights-client` | Red Hat:rhel_aus:8.4::appstream | All versions | 0:3.2.3-1.el8_4 | | `insights-client` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.1::appstream | All versions | 0:3.2.3-1.el8_1 | | `insights-client` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.2::appstream | All versions | 0:3.2.3-1.el8_2 | | `insights-client` | Red Hat:rhel_e4s:8.4::appstream | All versions | 0:3.2.3-1.el8_4 | | `insights-client` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.6::appstream | All versions | 0:3.2.2-1.el8_6 | | `insights-client` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.0::appstream | All versions | 0:3.2.2-1.el9_0 | | `insights-client` | Red Hat:rhel_tus:8.2::appstream | All versions | 0:3.2.3-1.el8_2 | | `insights-client` | Red Hat:rhel_tus:8.4::appstream | All versions | 0:3.2.3-1.el8_4 | Products: 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, Redhat Enterprise Linux for Ibm Z Systems, Redhat Enterprise Linux for Ibm Z Systems Eus, Redhat Enterprise Linux for Power Big Endian, Redhat Enterprise Linux for Power Little Endian, Redhat Enterprise Linux for Power Little Endian Eus, Redhat Enterprise Linux for Scientific Computing, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server for Power Little Endian Update Services for Sap Solutions, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server Update Services for Sap Solutions, Redhat Enterprise Linux Update Services for Sap Solutions, Redhat Insights-Client. ## 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. ## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Enterprise Linux - [CVE-2018-14667](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-14667/): Red Hat JBoss RichFaces Framework Expression Language Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2021-20325](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20325/): Missing fixes for CVE-2021-40438 and CVE-2021-26691 in the versions of httpd, as shipped in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.5.0, causes a securit (critical 9.8) - [CVE-2018-25011](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-25011/): Memory corruption in libwebp (critical 9.8) - [CVE-2018-25014](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-25014/): Other in libwebp (critical 9.8) - [CVE-2014-3585](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-3585/): Supply chain in redhat-upgrade-tool (critical 9.8) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2023-3972 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: 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. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-3972 in the wild and no public exploit code. Affected product: Redhat Enterprise Linux. 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-2023-3972/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3972/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-3972 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-3972 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-3972 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3972/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.