CVE-2017-16355 : What You Need to Know

Phusion Passenger 5.1.10 vulnerability allows listing contents of arbitrary files when running as root.

Understanding CVE-2017-16355

Phusion Passenger 5.1.10 vulnerability allows unauthorized access to system files.

What is CVE-2017-16355?

A vulnerability in Phusion Passenger 5.1.10 allows attackers to list contents of any files on a system when Passenger is running as root.

The Impact of CVE-2017-16355

Attackers can exploit the vulnerability to access sensitive information on the system.
This could lead to unauthorized disclosure of data and potential system compromise.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-16355

Phusion Passenger 5.1.10 vulnerability technical insights.

Vulnerability Description

Vulnerability in Spawner.h file allows listing contents of arbitrary files.
Exploitation involves creating a symbolic link named REVISION in the application root folder.

Affected Systems and Versions

Phusion Passenger 5.1.10 is affected.
Fixed in Passenger Open Source 5.1.11 and Passenger Enterprise 5.1.10.

Exploitation Mechanism

Exploited by creating a symbolic link named REVISION in the application root folder.
Attackers can then query passenger-status --show=xml to access file contents.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to mitigate and prevent CVE-2017-16355.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Phusion Passenger to version 5.1.11 for Open Source and 5.1.10 for Enterprise.
Avoid running Passenger as root to minimize the risk of exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and audit file access permissions.
Implement the principle of least privilege to restrict root access.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches promptly to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.