Privilege escalation via getcwd boundary writes
Published Aug 24, 2022 · Updated Dec 2, 2025
Buffer overflow in GNU C Library before 2.31 allows local users to corrupt memory in setuid programs through getcwd(). When a one-byte buffer and overlong current directory force the generic fallback, it prepends a slash before the buffer and moves two bytes into it, writing beyond both boundaries. Triggering the flaw requires bind-mounting / over that directory in an unprivileged mount namespace and executing a setuid program that calls getcwd() with size 1, enabling arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges.
Summary
What happened
Buffer overflow in GNU C Library before 2.31 allows local users to corrupt memory in setuid programs through getcwd(). When a one-byte buffer and overlong current directory force the generic fallback, it prepends a slash before the buffer and moves two bytes into it, writing beyond both boundaries. Triggering the flaw requires bind-mounting / over that directory in an unprivileged mount namespace and executing a setuid program that calls getcwd() with size 1, enabling arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-3999
- Published
- Aug 24, 2022
- Updated
- Dec 2, 2025
- Vendor
- GNU
- Product
- GNU C Library
- Classifications
- CWE-193, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 24, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Dec 2, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=Fixed in glibc v2.31 and above.
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Public exploit references
- Qualys getcwd trigger procedureproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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