CVE-2019-18898 : Security Advisory and Response

A security flaw has been discovered in the trousers package of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1 and openSUSE Factory, allowing local attackers to escalate privileges from the user "tss" to "root".

Understanding CVE-2019-18898

This CVE involves a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the trousers package affecting specific versions of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1 and openSUSE Factory.

What is CVE-2019-18898?

CVE-2019-18898 is a vulnerability that enables local attackers to elevate their privileges from the user "tss" to "root" by exploiting the trousers package in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1 and openSUSE Factory.

The Impact of CVE-2019-18898

The vulnerability poses a high severity risk with a CVSS base score of 7.7. Attackers can achieve high confidentiality and integrity impacts without requiring any special privileges.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-18898

This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate their privileges from the user "tss" to "root" by exploiting the trousers package in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1 and openSUSE Factory.

Affected Systems and Versions

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1 trousers versions before 0.3.14-6.3.1
openSUSE Factory trousers versions before 0.3.14-7.1

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability leverages improper link resolution before file access, enabling attackers to perform a local privilege escalation from the "tss" user to "root".

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2019-18898 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches provided by SUSE for the affected versions of the trousers package.
Monitor system logs for any suspicious activities indicating privilege escalation attempts.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement the principle of least privilege to restrict user permissions and limit potential attack surfaces.
Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments to identify and address any security gaps.

Patching and Updates

Regularly update and patch the trousers package to ensure that known vulnerabilities are mitigated and system security is maintained.