CVE-2019-11481 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

CVE-2019-11481, assigned by Canonical, involves a vulnerability in Apport that allows unauthorized access to system files through symbolic links.

Understanding CVE-2019-11481

What is CVE-2019-11481?

Apport, a crash report tool in Ubuntu, is susceptible to a security flaw that enables users to exploit symbolic links to read any file on the system with root privileges.

The Impact of CVE-2019-11481

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive system files, potentially resulting in data breaches or system compromise.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-11481

Vulnerability Description

The issue allows an attacker to manipulate a configuration file as a symbolic link, granting access to read any file on the system as root.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: Canonical
Product: apport
Vulnerable Versions:
2.14.1 (up to 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm2)
2.20.1 (up to 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.20)
2.20.9 (up to 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.8)
2.20.11 (up to 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.1)

Exploitation Mechanism

By replacing a configuration file with a symbolic link, an attacker can trick Apport into reading arbitrary files on the system with elevated privileges.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Disable Apport crash reporting if not essential
Regularly monitor system files and configurations for unauthorized changes

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement least privilege access controls
Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments

Patching and Updates

Apply the latest patches and updates from Canonical to address this vulnerability