CVE-2018-1141 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Nessus versions prior to 7.0.3 had a vulnerability that could lead to local privilege escalation if directories in the installation location were not secured properly.

Understanding CVE-2018-1141

Nessus, a product by Tenable, was affected by a security issue that allowed local privilege escalation.

What is CVE-2018-1141?

CVE-2018-1141 refers to a vulnerability in Nessus versions prior to 7.0.3 that could be exploited for local privilege escalation if directories in the installation location were not adequately secured.

The Impact of CVE-2018-1141

The vulnerability in Nessus versions prior to 7.0.3 posed a risk of local privilege escalation if proper directory permissions were not enforced during installation.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-1141

Nessus versions prior to 7.0.3 had a specific vulnerability that allowed for local privilege escalation.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arose from the lack of enforcement of secure permissions for sub-directories when Nessus was installed in a non-default location.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Nessus
Vendor: Tenable
Versions Affected: All versions prior to 7.0.3

Exploitation Mechanism

If Nessus was installed in a directory outside the default location without securing directories properly, local privilege escalation could occur.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2018-1141 and prevent local privilege escalation, follow these steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade Nessus to version 7.0.3 or later.
Ensure proper directory permissions are set during installation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly review and update directory permissions.
Monitor for any unauthorized changes in directory settings.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches and updates provided by Tenable to fix the vulnerability in affected versions.