Linux Kernel chown() System Call Group Ownership Alteration Vulnerability

BID:10662

Info

Linux Kernel chown() System Call Group Ownership Alteration Vulnerability

Bugtraq ID: 10662
Class: Access Validation Error
CVE: CVE-2004-0497
Remote: Yes
Local: No
Published: Jul 05 2004 12:00AM
Updated: Jul 12 2009 06:16AM
Credit: This issue has been discovered by Michael Schroeder and Ruediger Oertel, of SuSE Linux.
Vulnerable: Trustix Secure Linux 2.1
Trustix Secure Linux 2.0
Trustix Secure Enterprise Linux 2.0
S.u.S.E. Linux Personal 9.1
Redhat Fedora Core2
Redhat Fedora Core1
Redhat Enterprise Linux WS 3
Redhat Enterprise Linux ES 3
Redhat Enterprise Linux AS 3
Redhat Advanced Workstation for the Itanium Processor 2.1 IA64
Linux kernel 2.6.6
Linux kernel 2.6.5
+ S.u.S.E. Linux Personal 9.1 x86_64
+ S.u.S.E. Linux Personal 9.1 x86_64
+ S.u.S.E. Linux Personal 9.1
+ S.u.S.E. Linux Personal 9.1
+ SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9
Linux kernel 2.4.21
+ Mandriva Linux Mandrake 9.1 ppc
+ Mandriva Linux Mandrake 9.1
+ Redhat Desktop 3.0
+ Redhat Enterprise Linux AS 3
+ Redhat Enterprise Linux ES 3
+ Redhat Enterprise Linux WS 3
+ S.u.S.E. Linux Personal 9.0 x86_64
+ S.u.S.E. Linux Personal 9.0
+ SuSE SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8
Linux kernel 2.4.20
+ CRUX CRUX Linux 1.0
+ Gentoo Linux 1.4
+ Gentoo Linux 1.2
+ Redhat Linux 9.0 i386
+ Slackware Linux 9.0
+ WOLK WOLK 4.4 s
Gentoo Linux 1.4
Not Vulnerable:

Discussion

Linux Kernel chown() System Call Group Ownership Alteration Vulnerability

It is reported that the Linux kernel version 2.6 contains a flaw which allows users to improperly change the group ownership on arbitrary files that they do not own. For the Linux kernel 2.4.X this issue is only exploitable when the kernel NFS server is active, for the 2.6.X kernel this issue is always exploitable.

An attacker may reportedly be able to exploit this issue to gain superuser privileges.

This issue was reported in version 2.6.6, but other versions, including 2.4.X, are also likely vulnerable.

Exploit / POC

Linux Kernel chown() System Call Group Ownership Alteration Vulnerability

No exploit is required. The following proof of concept has been released:

Solution / Fix

Linux Kernel chown() System Call Group Ownership Alteration Vulnerability

Solution:
Trustix Secure Linux has released advisory TSLSA-2004-0041 to address this, and other issues. Please see the referenced advisory for further information.

SuSE Linux has released advisory SUSE-SA:2004:020 dealing with this issue. Please see the referenced advisory for further information.

Redhat has released advisories FEDORA-2004-205 and FEDORA-2004-206 addressing this issue for Fedora Core 1 and Fedora Core 2. Please see the referenced advisories for further information.

Redhat has released advisory RHSA-2004:360-05 addressing this issue for Redhat Enterprise Linux. Please see the referenced advisory for further information.

Mandrake has released advisory MDKSA-2004:066 dealing with this and other issues. Please see the referenced advisory for more information.

Gentoo has released advisory GLSA 200407-16 dealing with this and other issues. They have advised that users should upgrade to the latest available sources for their system:

# emerge sync

# emerge -pv your-favorite-sources
# emerge your-favorite-sources

# # Follow usual procedure for compiling and installing a kernel.
# # If you use genkernel, run genkernel as you would do normally.

For more information please see the referenced Gentoo advisory.

Conectiva Linux has released advisory CLA-2004:852 along with fixes dealing with this and other issues. Please see the referenced advisory for more information.

Currently we are not aware of any vendor-supplied patches for this issue. If you feel we are in error or are aware of more recent information, please mail us at: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>.

Red Hat has released advisory RHSA-2004:327-09 along with fixes to address this issue for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1 for Itanium processors. Please see the referenced advisory for further information.

Conectiva Linux has released an advisory (CLA-2004:869) along with fixes dealing with this issue. Please see the referenced advisory for more information.


Redhat Fedora Core1

Linux kernel 2.4.20

Linux kernel 2.4.21

Linux kernel 2.6.5

Linux kernel 2.6.6

References

Linux Kernel chown() System Call Group Ownership Alteration Vulnerability

References:

© CVE.report 2026

Use of this information constitutes acceptance for use in an AS IS condition. There are NO warranties, implied or otherwise, with regard to this information or its use. Any use of this information is at the user's risk. It is the responsibility of user to evaluate the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice or other content. EACH USER WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY consequences of his or her direct or indirect use of this web site. ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND ARE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED. This site will NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT or any other kind of loss.

CVE, CWE, and OVAL are registred trademarks of The MITRE Corporation and the authoritative source of CVE content is MITRE's CVE web site. This site includes MITRE data granted under the following license.

Free CVE JSON API cve.report/api

CVE.report and Source URL Uptime Status status.cve.report