CVE-2015-0855
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Pitivi video editor allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by providing specially crafted file paths containing shell metacharacters. The _mediaLibraryPlayCb function passes user-controlled file paths directly to shell commands without proper sanitization. Users running vulnerable versions of Pitivi are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Pitivi
📦 What is this software?
Pitivi by Pitivi
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with attacker gaining complete control over the user's system, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution in the context of the user running Pitivi, allowing attackers to access user files, install malware, or pivot to other systems.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if application runs in sandboxed environment with restricted permissions and no network access.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction to open malicious file. Proof of concept details are publicly available in security advisories.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 0.95 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://git.gnome.org/browse/pitivi/commit/?id=45a4c84edb3b4343f199bba1c65502e3f49f5bb2
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update Pitivi to version 0.95 or later using your distribution's package manager. 2. For Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade pitivi. 3. For source installations: Download latest version from official repository and rebuild.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Avoid opening untrusted files
allDo not open media files from untrusted sources in Pitivi until patched.
Run in restricted environment
linuxRun Pitivi with reduced privileges using sandboxing tools.
firejail pitivi
bwrap --unshare-all --share-net --ro-bind /usr /usr --ro-bind /etc /etc --bind $HOME $HOME pitivi
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Uninstall Pitivi if not essential for operations
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of vulnerable versions
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Pitivi version: pitivi --version. If version is earlier than 0.95, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
pitivi --versionVerify Fix Applied:
After update, verify version is 0.95 or later: pitivi --version📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual process spawns from Pitivi
- Shell command execution with unusual arguments from Pitivi process
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected outbound connections from Pitivi process
SIEM Query:
process_name:"pitivi" AND (process_cmdline:*;* OR process_cmdline:*&* OR process_cmdline:*|* OR process_cmdline:*`*)🔗 References
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/12/23/8
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/97283
- https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pitivi/+bug/1495272
- https://git.gnome.org/browse/pitivi/commit/?id=45a4c84edb3b4343f199bba1c65502e3f49f5bb2
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/12/23/8
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/97283
- https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pitivi/+bug/1495272
- https://git.gnome.org/browse/pitivi/commit/?id=45a4c84edb3b4343f199bba1c65502e3f49f5bb2
