CUPS vulnerabilities put Linux techniques prone to distant code execution – Cyber Tech

A brand new set of vulnerabilities had been found in a typical element of Linux techniques.

Researcher Simone Margaritelli disclosed 4 vulnerabilities within the Frequent Unix Printing System (CUPS) that might permit for distant code execution.

Relationship again to the times of Unix techniques, CUPS capabilities because the frequent interface for linking computer systems with printers. It made its approach into Unix and is now a typical element in every thing from servers to PCs.

“A distant unauthenticated attacker can silently change current printers’ (or set up new ones) IPP urls with a malicious one, leading to arbitrary command execution (on the pc) when a print job is began (from that pc),” Margaritelli defined.

The 4 flaws had been designated CVE-2024-47176, CVE-2024-47076, CVE-2024-47175, and CVE-2024-47177. Whereas every describes a barely completely different situation, the tip consequence is identical: a distant attacker can manipulate printer instructions to ship arbitrary directions to a focused machine.

Whereas it’s generally agreed that the vulnerability can permit for distant code execution, there’s some debate as to the real-world severity of the issues. Essentially the most extreme got a 9.9 CVSS ranking.

Some specialists imagine that the ranking was a bit heavy handed and, in real-world phrases, the issues weren’t all they had been made out to be. Researchers with safety firm Ontinue famous that there are some {qualifications} for an assault to happen.

“With a purpose to leverage this vulnerability, an attacker would want to entry the weak system from the native community, or entry it from the web by a promiscuous firewall ‘NAT’ rule,” mentioned the Onitnue workforce.

“In flip the weak system have to be permitted to contact a tool (managed by the attacker) which hosts a malicious printer driver.”

Margaritelli additionally walked again the significance of the flaw, noting that rankings aren’t at all times a mirrored image of real-world hazard.

“I’m not an skilled, and I feel that the preliminary 9.9 was principally resulting from the truth that the RCE is trivial to take advantage of and the bundle presence so widespread,” the researcher mentioned.

“Influence-wise, I wouldn’t classify it as a 9.9,” mentioned Margaritelli. “However then once more, what the hell do I do know?”

Rankings apart, Linux customers and directors could be well-advised to put in the most recent updates for all of their firmware and dependencies.