Root command execution via writable spool directory
Published May 6, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024
Improper privilege management in Exim before 4.94.2 allows local users with the Exim account to execute commands as root. Exim performs privileged operations inside an Exim-owned spool directory, letting that account alter input headers, overflow dbfn_open with long names, or redirect chown through links. Access as the Exim service account is required; successful exploitation grants full root privileges on the host.
Summary
What happened
Improper privilege management in Exim before 4.94.2 allows local users with the Exim account to execute commands as root. Exim performs privileged operations inside an Exim-owned spool directory, letting that account alter input headers, overflow dbfn_open with long names, or redirect chown through links. Access as the Exim service account is required; successful exploitation grants full root privileges on the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2020-28008
- Published
- May 6, 2021
- Updated
- Aug 4, 2024
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-269, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 6, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Qualys spool-directory privilege-escalation demonstrationfunctional · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo