CVE-2021-4115 : What You Need to Know

A flaw in polkit allows an unprivileged user to crash the process due to file descriptor exhaustion, impacting availability.

Understanding CVE-2021-4115

This CVE refers to a vulnerability in polkit that can be exploited by an unprivileged user, leading to a denial of service condition.

What is CVE-2021-4115?

The vulnerability in polkit allows an unprivileged user to cause the process to crash by exhausting file descriptors, affecting the availability of the system.

The Impact of CVE-2021-4115

The highest threat from this vulnerability is to availability as the polkit process outage duration is dependent on the failing process being reaped and a new one being spawned.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-4115

This section provides more detailed information about the vulnerability in polkit.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in polkit leads to a denial of service condition by allowing an unprivileged user to exhaust file descriptors, resulting in a process crash.

Affected Systems and Versions

The polkitd version 0.117 is confirmed to be affected by this vulnerability in polkit.

Exploitation Mechanism

An unprivileged user can trigger the vulnerability in polkit by exploiting the file descriptor exhaustion, causing the process to crash.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2021-4115, immediate steps need to be taken along with implementing long-term security practices and applying necessary patches and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

It is recommended to monitor and restrict access to vulnerable systems and services, as well as apply any available patches or workarounds.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing least privilege access, regular security audits, and continuous monitoring can help prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that the affected polkit version is updated with the latest patches and security fixes to mitigate the risk associated with CVE-2021-4115.