CVE-2020-25211
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel. A local attacker, able to inject conntrack netlink configuration, could overflow a local buffer causing crashes or triggering the use of incorrect protocol numbers in ctnetlink_parse_tuple_filter in net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_netlink.c. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.
Statement
This flaw is rated as having Moderate impact (Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and lower) because of the need to have CAP_NET_ADMIN privileges.
This flaw is rated as having Important (Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8) impact because of the need to have CAP_NET_ADMIN privileges. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 enabled unprivileged user/network namespaces by default which can be used to exercise this vulnerability.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, prevent module nf_conntrack_netlink from being loaded. Please see https://access.redhat.com/solutions/41278 for how to blacklist a kernel module to prevent it from loading automatically.
Alternatively, if nf_conntrack_netlink is being used, on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, you can disable unprivileged user namespaces by setting user.max_user_namespaces to 0:
# echo "user.max_user_namespaces=0" > /etc/sysctl.d/userns.conf
# sysctl -p /etc/sysctl.d/userns.conf
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 Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 6.7 | 6 | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | Local | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low | N/A |
| Privileges Required | High | High | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | None | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | N/A |
| Confidentiality | High | None | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | High | High | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | High | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; Modify Memory
If the memory accessible by the attacker can be effectively controlled, it may be possible to execute arbitrary code, as with a standard buffer overflow. If the attacker can overwrite a pointer's worth of memory (usually 32 or 64 bits), they can alter the intended control flow by redirecting a function pointer to their own malicious code. Even when the attacker can only modify a single byte arbitrary code execution can be possible. Sometimes this is because the same problem can be exploited repeatedly to the same effect. Other times it is because the attacker can overwrite security-critical application-specific data -- such as a flag indicating whether the user is an administrator.
Availability,Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Memory; DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU); DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory)
Out of bounds memory access will very likely result in the corruption of relevant memory, and perhaps instructions, possibly leading to a crash. Other attacks leading to lack of availability are possible, including putting the program into an infinite loop.
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Memory
In the case of an out-of-bounds read, the attacker may have access to sensitive information. If the sensitive information contains system details, such as the current buffer's position in memory, this knowledge can be used to craft further attacks, possibly with more severe consequences.
Acknowledgements
Red Hat would like to thank Will McVicker (Google) for reporting this issue.
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