CVE-2020-15238 : Security Advisory and Response

Blueman is a GTK+ Bluetooth Manager that was found to have a local privilege escalation vulnerability before version 2.1.4. This vulnerability could allow attackers to execute arbitrary scripts or commands on affected systems.

Understanding CVE-2020-15238

Blueman before version 2.1.4 is susceptible to a local privilege escalation vulnerability due to an argument injection flaw in the DhcpClient method of the D-Bus interface.

What is CVE-2020-15238?

Blueman versions prior to 2.1.4 are affected by a vulnerability that could be exploited by local users to escalate privileges. The impact varies based on system configurations and the presence of Polkit-1.

The Impact of CVE-2020-15238

CVSS Base Score: 7.1 (High)
Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: High
Privileges Required: Low
Integrity Impact: High
Availability Impact: Low
Scope: Changed

Technical Details of CVE-2020-15238

Blueman's vulnerability allows for local privilege escalation through the DhcpClient method of the D-Bus interface.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from an argument injection issue in the DhcpClient method, potentially enabling local users to execute arbitrary commands.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Product: Blueman
Vendor: blueman-project
Vulnerable Versions: < 2.1.4

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by passing arguments to

ip link

with the interface name, leading to various malicious activities such as bringing down interfaces or running arbitrary scripts.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2020-15238, immediate steps and long-term security practices are recommended.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Blueman to version 2.1.4 or later to apply the necessary patches.
Enable Polkit-1 support and restrict privileges for the

org.blueman.dhcp.client

action.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software to the latest versions to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
Implement least privilege principles to limit the impact of potential exploits.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that all systems running Blueman are updated to version 2.1.4 or have the necessary patches applied.