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If the program is run as a setuid root program, over time, the state of the UIDs might look like the following:
Description | Code | EUID | RUID | SSUID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Program startup |
0 | User | 0 | ||
Temporary drop |
| User | User | 0 |
Restore |
| 0 | User | 0 |
Permanent drop |
| User | User | User |
Restore (attacker) |
| User | User | User |
If the program fails to restore privileges, it will be unable to permanently drop them later:
Description | Code | EUID | RUID | SSUID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
program startup |
0 | User | 0 | ||
Temporary drop |
| User | User | 0 |
Restore |
| User | User | 0 |
Permanent drop |
| User | User | 0 |
Restore (attacker) |
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
Compliant Solution
This compliant solution was implemented in sendmail, a popular mail transfer agent, to determine if superuser privileges were successfully dropped [Wheeler 2003]. If the setuid() call succeeds after (supposedly) dropping privileges permanently, then the privileges were not dropped as intended.
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If privilege relinquishment conditions are left unchecked, any flaw in the program may lead to unintended system compromise corresponding to the more privileged user or group account.
Rule | Severity | Likelihood | Remediation Cost | Priority | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
POS37-C | high | probable | low | P18 | L1 |
Automated Detection
Tool | Version | Checker | Description | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klocwork |
|
| Parasoft C/C++test |
| SECURITY-44 | Implemented |
Related Vulnerabilities
Search for vulnerabilities resulting from the violation of this rule on the CERT website.
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Key here (explains table format and definitions)
Taxonomy | Taxonomy item | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| ISO/IEC TR 24772 | Privilege Sandbox Issues [XYO] | Prior to 2018-01-12: CERT: Unspecified Relationship |
| CWE 2.11 | CWE-273, Failure to check whether privileges were dropped successfully | 2017-07-07: CERT: Exact |
Bibliography
| [Chen 2002] | "Setuid Demystified" |
| [Dowd 2006] | Chapter 9, "Unix I: Privileges and Files" |
| [Open Group 2004] | setuid()getuid()seteuid() |
| [Tsafrir 2008] | "The Murky Issue of Changing Process Identity: Revising 'Setuid Demystified'" |
| [Wheeler 2003] | Section 7.4, "Minimize Privileges" |
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