The transform_save function in transform.c in Augeas before 1.0.0 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files and obtain sensitive information via a symlink attack on a .augnew file.

Multiple race conditions were discovered in augeas when saving configuration files which expose it to symlink attacks. Write access to the directory where the configuration file is located is required by the attacker.

NOTE: Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the DLA security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.

Updated augeas packages that fix two security issues, several bugs, and add various enhancements are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.

The Red Hat Security Response Team has rated this update as having low security impact. A Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base score, which gives a detailed severity rating, is available from the CVE link in the References section.

Augeas is a utility for editing configuration. Augeas parses configuration files in their native formats and transforms them into a tree. Configuration changes are made by manipulating this tree and saving it back into native configuration files. Augeas also uses 'lenses' as basic building blocks for establishing the mapping from files into the Augeas tree and back.

Multiple flaws were found in the way Augeas handled configuration files when updating them. An application using Augeas to update configuration files in a directory that is writable to by a different user (for example, an application running as root that is updating files in a directory owned by a non-root service user) could have been tricked into overwriting arbitrary files or leaking information via a symbolic link or mount point attack. (CVE-2012-0786, CVE-2012-0787)

The augeas package has been upgraded to upstream version 1.0.0, which provides a number of bug fixes and enhancements over the previous version. (BZ#817753)

This update also fixes the following bugs :

* Previously, when single quotes were used in an XML attribute, Augeas was unable to parse the file with the XML lens. An upstream patch has been provided ensuring that single quotes are handled as valid characters and parsing no longer fails. (BZ#799885)

* Prior to this update, Augeas was unable to set up the 'require_ssl_reuse' option in the vsftpd.conf file. The updated patch fixes the vsftpd lens to properly recognize this option, thus fixing this bug. (BZ#855022)

* Previously, the XML lens did not support non-Unix line endings.
Consequently, Augeas was unable to load any files containing such line endings. The XML lens has been fixed to handle files with CRLF line endings, thus fixing this bug. (BZ#799879)

* Previously, Augeas was unable to parse modprobe.conf files with spaces around '=' characters in option directives. The modprobe lens has been updated and parsing no longer fails. (BZ#826752)

All Augeas users are advised to upgrade to these updated packages, which contain backported patches to correct these issues and add these enhancements.

Augeas has been updated to fix a symlink overwrite problem.
(CVE-2012-0786 / CVE-2013-6412)

Also a bug has been fixed where 'augtool -s set was failing'.
(bnc#876044)

Additionally parsing the multipath configuration has been fixed.
bnc#871323

Updated augeas packages fix security vulnerabilities :

Multiple flaws were found in the way Augeas handled configuration files when updating them. An application using Augeas to update configuration files in a directory that is writable to by a different user (for example, an application running as root that is updating files in a directory owned by a non-root service user) could have been tricked into overwriting arbitrary files or leaking information via a symbolic link or mount point attack (CVE-2012-0786, CVE-2012-0787).

A flaw was found in the way Augeas handled certain umask settings when creating new configuration files. This flaw could result in configuration files being created as world-writable, allowing unprivileged local users to modify their content (CVE-2013-6412).

Multiple flaws were found in the way Augeas handled configuration files when updating them. An application using Augeas to update configuration files in a directory that is writable to by a different user (for example, an application running as root that is updating files in a directory owned by a non-root service user) could have been tricked into overwriting arbitrary files or leaking information via a symbolic link or mount point attack. (CVE-2012-0786 , CVE-2012-0787)

Multiple flaws were found in the way Augeas handled configuration files when updating them. An application using Augeas to update configuration files in a directory that is writable to by a different user (for example, an application running as root that is updating files in a directory owned by a non-root service user) could have been tricked into overwriting arbitrary files or leaking information via a symbolic link or mount point attack. (CVE-2012-0786, CVE-2012-0787)

The augeas package has been upgraded to upstream version 1.0.0, which provides a number of bug fixes and enhancements over the previous version.

This update also fixes the following bugs :

  - Previously, when single quotes were used in an XML     attribute, Augeas was unable to parse the file with the     XML lens. An upstream patch has been provided ensuring     that single quotes are handled as valid characters and     parsing no longer fails.

  - Prior to this update, Augeas was unable to set up the     'require_ssl_reuse' option in the vsftpd.conf file. The     updated patch fixes the vsftpd lens to properly     recognize this option, thus fixing this bug.

  - Previously, the XML lens did not support non-Unix line     endings. Consequently, Augeas was unable to load any     files containing such line endings. The XML lens has     been fixed to handle files with CRLF line endings, thus     fixing this bug.

  - Previously, Augeas was unable to parse modprobe.conf     files with spaces around '=' characters in option     directives. The modprobe lens has been updated and     parsing no longer fails.

The remote Oracle Linux 6 host has packages installed that are affected by multiple vulnerabilities as referenced in the ELSA-2013-1537 advisory.

    [1.0.0-5]
    - Don't package lenses in tests/ subdirectory.
      related: rhbz#817753

    [1.0.0-4]
    - Rebase to Augeas 1.0.0       resolves: rhbz#817753
    - Add dependency on libxml2-devel.
    - Remove all patches (all upstream and included in 1.0.0).
    - Print tests/test-suite.log when the tests fail.
    - Add fix for regression added in 1.0.0 (RHBZ#920609).
    - Fix tests/test-run.

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Oracle Linux security advisory.

Note that Nessus has not tested for these issues but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version number.

ID	Name	Product	Family	Severity
82176	Debian DLA-28-1 : augeas security update	Nessus	Debian Local Security Checks	medium
79157	CentOS 6 : augeas (CESA-2013:1537)	Nessus	CentOS Local Security Checks	low
77196	SuSE 11.3 Security Update : augeas (SAT Patch Number 9574)	Nessus	SuSE Local Security Checks	medium
72134	Mandriva Linux Security Advisory : augeas (MDVSA-2014:022)	Nessus	Mandriva Local Security Checks	medium
71267	Amazon Linux AMI : augeas (ALAS-2013-250)	Nessus	Amazon Linux Local Security Checks	low
71192	Scientific Linux Security Update : augeas on SL6.x i386/x86_64 (20131121)	Nessus	Scientific Linux Local Security Checks	low
71102	Oracle Linux 6 : augeas (ELSA-2013-1537)	Nessus	Oracle Linux Local Security Checks	high
71000	RHEL 6 : augeas (RHSA-2013:1537)	Nessus	Red Hat Local Security Checks	low

Detections

Analytics

CVE-2012-0786

high

Tenable Plugins

medium

low

medium

medium

low

low

high

low