CVE-2013-7171
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Slackware Linux distributions allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with root privileges due to insecure world-writable permissions on the /tmp directory. It affects Slackware 14.0 and 14.1, and Slackware LLVM packages. Attackers can exploit this to gain complete system control.
💻 Affected Systems
- Slackware Linux
- Slackware LLVM
📦 What is this software?
Slackware Linux by Slackware
Slackware Linux by Slackware
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote unauthenticated attacker gains root privileges and full system compromise, allowing data theft, system destruction, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Local or network-adjacent attacker escalates privileges to root, potentially compromising the entire system and any services running on it.
If Mitigated
With proper directory permissions and isolation controls, impact is limited to temporary file manipulation without privilege escalation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation involves manipulating files in /tmp directory to achieve privilege escalation. Public discussions and proof-of-concept details exist in security mailing lists.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Updated Slackware packages with proper /tmp permissions
Vendor Advisory: http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/12/20/1
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update Slackware using official package manager. 2. Apply security updates for affected packages. 3. Verify /tmp directory permissions are corrected to 1777 (sticky bit set).
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Fix /tmp directory permissions
linuxManually set correct permissions on /tmp directory to prevent unauthorized file manipulation
chmod 1777 /tmp
chown root:root /tmp
Use separate tmpfs with secure options
linuxMount /tmp as separate filesystem with secure options
mount -t tmpfs -o size=1G,nosuid,nodev,noexec,mode=1777 tmpfs /tmp
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls and monitoring on /tmp directory usage
- Isolate affected systems from network and restrict user access
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check /tmp directory permissions: ls -ld /tmp should show drwxrwxrwt (1777). If world-writable without sticky bit, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
cat /etc/slackware-version && ls -ld /tmpVerify Fix Applied:
Verify /tmp permissions: ls -ld /tmp should show drwxrwxrwt. Check package versions against patched versions.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file creation/modification in /tmp by non-root users
- Permission change attempts on /tmp directory
- Processes running with unexpected root privileges
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from root-owned processes
- Network scans originating from affected system
SIEM Query:
process:parent.name=* AND process:user.name=root AND process:parent.user.name!=root🔗 References
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/12/20/1
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2013-7171
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/89915
- https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2013-7171
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2013/12/20/1
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2013-7171
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/89915
- https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2013-7171
