CVE-2019-5602 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

A vulnerability in the cdrom driver of FreeBSD operating systems allows malicious users to gain root privileges through arbitrary kernel memory overwrites.

Understanding CVE-2019-5602

This CVE identifies a privilege escalation vulnerability in FreeBSD versions 12.0-STABLE, 12.0-RELEASE, 11.3-PRERELEASE, 11.3-RC3, and 11.2-RELEASE.

What is CVE-2019-5602?

In FreeBSD versions mentioned, a flaw in the cdrom driver permits users with read access to the cdrom device to overwrite kernel memory, enabling malicious operators to escalate privileges to root level.

The Impact of CVE-2019-5602

The vulnerability allows unauthorized users to exploit the cdrom driver, potentially leading to unauthorized access and control of the affected system, posing a significant security risk.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-5602

This section provides detailed technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The bug in the cdrom driver of FreeBSD versions allows users with read access to the cdrom device to maliciously overwrite kernel memory, facilitating unauthorized privilege escalation.

Affected Systems and Versions

FreeBSD 12.0-STABLE before r349628
FreeBSD 12.0-RELEASE before 12.0-RELEASE-p7
FreeBSD 11.3-PRERELEASE before r349629
FreeBSD 11.3-RC3 before 11.3-RC3-p1
FreeBSD 11.2-RELEASE before 11.2-RELEASE-p11

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability enables users to exploit the cdrom driver, allowing them to overwrite kernel memory when media is present, leading to unauthorized privilege escalation.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2019-5602 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the official patches provided by FreeBSD to address the vulnerability.
Restrict access to the cdrom device to authorized users only.
Monitor system logs for any suspicious activities related to the cdrom driver.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update FreeBSD systems to the latest stable releases to ensure security patches are applied.
Implement the principle of least privilege to restrict user access and minimize the impact of potential vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

FreeBSD has released patches for the affected versions to mitigate the vulnerability.