CVE-2020-11934 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

A vulnerability in snapd allowed altering environment variables, potentially leading to a sandbox escape.

Understanding CVE-2020-11934

This CVE involves a security issue in snapd that could be exploited by a malicious snap to bypass access restrictions.

What is CVE-2020-11934?

The vulnerability in snapd's snapctl user-open feature allowed manipulation of environment variables, enabling a malicious snap to control the host system's behavior.

The Impact of CVE-2020-11934

The vulnerability could be exploited to execute scripts without confinement, potentially leading to unauthorized access and control over the host system.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-11934

This section provides detailed technical information about the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The issue allowed altering the $XDG_DATA_DIRS environment variable, enabling a malicious snap to control the behavior of the host system's xdg-open script.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: snapd
Vendor: Canonical
Versions Affected: 2.45.1ubuntu0.2, 2.45.1+18.04.2, 2.45.1+20.04.2

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Changed
Integrity Impact: High

Mitigation and Prevention

Learn how to mitigate and prevent this vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update snapd to versions 2.45.1ubuntu0.2, 2.45.1+18.04.2, or 2.45.1+20.04.2
Monitor for any unusual behavior on the system

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update snapd and other software components
Implement strict confinement policies for snaps

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by Canonical