CVE-2019-3684 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

SUSE Manager, up to version 4.0.7, and Uyuni, up to commit 1b426ad5ed0a7191a6fb46bb83e98ae4b99a5ade, were responsible for generating swap files that could be accessed by anyone on systems without an existing swap setup and lacking btrfs as the filesystem.

Understanding CVE-2019-3684

This CVE involves a vulnerability in SUSE Manager and Uyuni that could lead to the creation of world-readable swap files on certain systems.

What is CVE-2019-3684?

CVE-2019-3684 is a security vulnerability found in SUSE Manager and Uyuni, allowing unauthorized access to swap files on vulnerable systems.

The Impact of CVE-2019-3684

The vulnerability could potentially expose sensitive information stored in swap files to unauthorized users, compromising confidentiality.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-3684

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

Vulnerability Description

SUSE Manager and Uyuni versions mentioned were creating world-readable swap files on systems without pre-configured swap and lacking btrfs as the filesystem.

Affected Systems and Versions

SUSE Manager up to version 4.0.7
Uyuni up to commit 1b426ad5ed0a7191a6fb46bb83e98ae4b99a5ade

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability allowed unauthorized users to access swap files on affected systems, potentially leading to data exposure.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2019-3684, follow these mitigation strategies:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update SUSE Manager to version 4.0.7 or higher.
Update Uyuni to a version beyond commit 1b426ad5ed0a7191a6fb46bb83e98ae4b99a5ade.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and audit swap file permissions on systems.
Implement proper filesystem configurations to enhance security.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches and updates provided by SUSE and Uyuni to fix the vulnerability.