CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2024-32019NVD status: Deferred

netdata: Untrusted Search Path

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2024-32019 is a high-severity untrusted search path vulnerability in netdata, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 1.45.0-169, 1.45.3 as the first without the flaw, so updating netdata to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 1.17% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 68% of scored CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update netdata to 1.45.0-169 or 1.45.3, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Netdatanetdata>= 1.45.0, < 1.45.3; >= 1.44.0-60, < 1.45.0-169; 1.44.0-60 up to, but not including, 1.45.0-169; 1.45.0 up to, but not including, 1.45.31.45.0-169, 1.45.3

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
LowA basic user account is enough.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (github.com).

Official description

Netdata is an open source observability tool. In affected versions the `ndsudo` tool shipped with affected versions of the Netdata Agent allows an attacker to run arbitrary programs with root permissions. The `ndsudo` tool is packaged as a `root`-owned executable with the SUID bit set. It only runs a restricted set of external commands, but its search paths are supplied by the `PATH` environment variable. This allows an attacker to control where `ndsudo` looks for these commands, which may be a path the attacker has write access to. This may lead to local privilege escalation. This vulnerability has been addressed in versions 1.45.3 and 1.45.2-169. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Untrusted Search Path

The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Hard-code the search path to a set of known-safe values (such as system directories), or only allow them to be specified by the administrator in a configuration file. Do not allow these settings to be modified by an external party. Be careful to avoid related weaknesses such as CWE-426 and CWE-428.
  • When invoking other programs, specify those programs using fully-qualified pathnames. While this is an effective approach, code that uses fully-qualified pathnames might not be portable to other systems that do not use the same pathnames. The portability can be improved by locating the full-qualified paths in a centralized, easily-modifiable location within the source code, and having the code refer to these paths.
  • Remove or restrict all environment settings before invoking other programs. This includes the PATH environment variable, LD_LIBRARY_PATH, and other settings that identify the location of code libraries, and any application-specific search paths.

More Untrusted Search Path vulnerabilities (CWE-426)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Patches and release notes

Other vulnerabilities in netdata

All netdata vulnerabilities

Recent Untrusted Search Path vulnerabilities

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