Local root code execution via inherited RUBYLIB
Published Nov 19, 2024 · Updated Nov 3, 2025
Local privilege escalation in NeedRestart Project needrestart before 3.8 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as root. During Ruby interpreter scanning, needrestart copies RUBYLIB from an inspected unprivileged process into its own environment and launches Ruby, causing Ruby to load attacker-controlled enc/encdb.so code with needrestart's root privileges. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access, Ruby installed, and the interpreter scanner enabled; the scanner is enabled in the default vulnerable configuration.
Summary
What happened
Local privilege escalation in NeedRestart Project needrestart before 3.8 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as root. During Ruby interpreter scanning, needrestart copies RUBYLIB from an inspected unprivileged process into its own environment and launches Ruby, causing Ruby to load attacker-controlled enc/encdb.so code with needrestart's root privileges. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access, Ruby installed, and the interpreter scanner enabled; the scanner is enabled in the default vulnerable configuration.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-48992
- Published
- Nov 19, 2024
- Updated
- Nov 3, 2025
- Vendor
- NeedRestart Project
- Product
- needrestart
- Classifications
- CWE-427, T1574.006
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Nov 19, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 3, 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <3.8
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
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 RUBYLIB encdb.so demonstrationfunctional · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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