CVE-2023-42465

Description

A flaw was found in the sudo package. This issue could allow a local authenticated attacker to cause a bit to flip, which enables fault injection and may authenticate as the root user.

Statement

"Mayhem" is a potent attack technique that focuses on the core components of computing systems, specifically the CPU internals and stack variables. This method signifies a noteworthy advancement in cyber threats, demonstrating a successful ability to tamper with a computer's memory and compromise both stack and register variables. Capitalizing on the well-known Rowhammer effect, wherein swift access to a DRAM row induces bit flips in neighboring rows, this clever attack exploits these bit flips to disrupt stack variables and manipulate register values within a given process. The manipulation is accomplished by targeting register values stored in the process's stack, which, once flushed out to memory, become vulnerable to Rowhammer attacks. When reloaded, these corrupted values cause chaos, compromising the integrity of the entire process. It's important to note that this attack is confined to the local system, leading us to categorize it as a moderate threat.

Mitigation

In general to address this issue, it's crucial to implement robust logic that prevents unintended execution from a single-bit flip.

But mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.

Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details

Info alert:Important note

CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).

CVSS v3 Score Breakdown

Red HatNVDcve.org
Base Score77N/A
Attack VectorLocalLocalN/A
Attack ComplexityHighHighN/A
Privileges RequiredLowLowN/A
User InteractionNoneNoneN/A
ScopeUnchangedUnchangedN/A
ConfidentialityHighHighN/A
Integrity ImpactHighHighN/A
Availability ImpactHighHighN/A

Vector

Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Understanding the Weakness (CWE)

Confidentiality,Integrity,Access Control,Availability

Technical Impact: Modify Memory; Read Memory; Gain Privileges or Assume Identity; Bypass Protection Mechanism; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands

Frequently Asked Questions

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