CVE-2019-11461 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A problem has been found in versions of GNOME Nautilus 3.30 before 3.30.6 and 3.32 before 3.32.1. It has been discovered that if a thumbnailer is compromised, it can bypass the bubblewrap sandbox used to limit the actions of thumbnailers. This can be done by utilizing the TIOCSTI ioctl to inject characters into the input buffer of the thumbnailer's controlling terminal. An attacker could escape the sandbox if the thumbnailer has a controlling terminal due to incorrect filtering of the TIOCSTI ioctl on 64-bit systems, similar to CVE-2019-10063.

Understanding CVE-2019-11461

This CVE identifies a vulnerability in GNOME Nautilus versions that could allow an attacker to escape the sandbox by compromising the thumbnailer.

What is CVE-2019-11461?

CVE-2019-11461 is a security flaw in GNOME Nautilus versions 3.30 and 3.32 that enables attackers to bypass the sandbox restrictions by manipulating the thumbnailer's controlling terminal.

The Impact of CVE-2019-11461

The vulnerability allows attackers to escape the sandbox and potentially execute malicious actions if the thumbnailer is compromised.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-11461

This section provides more in-depth technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from improper filtering of the TIOCSTI ioctl on 64-bit systems, enabling attackers to inject characters into the thumbnailer's controlling terminal.

Affected Systems and Versions

Versions of GNOME Nautilus 3.30 before 3.30.6
Versions of GNOME Nautilus 3.32 before 3.32.1

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers exploit the TIOCSTI ioctl to inject characters into the thumbnailer's controlling terminal, allowing them to escape the sandbox.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2019-11461 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update GNOME Nautilus to version 3.30.6 or 3.32.1 to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor for any suspicious activities related to thumbnailer processes.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement strict access controls to limit the capabilities of thumbnailers.
Regularly audit and review the security configurations of thumbnailer processes.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by GNOME to address the vulnerability.