Apport reads arbitrary files if ~/.config/apport/settings is a symlink
Published Feb 8, 2020
7.8
HIGHCVSS 3.1
EPSS 0.45%
Description
Kevin Backhouse discovered that apport would read a user-supplied configuration file with elevated privileges. By replacing the file with a symbolic link, a user could get apport to read any file on the system as root, with unknown consequences.
Affected products
-
- Version 2.14.1StatusaffectedConstraints<2.14.1-0ubuntu3.29+esm2
- Version 2.20.1StatusaffectedConstraints<2.20.1-0ubuntu2.20
- Version 2.20.11StatusaffectedConstraints<2.20.11-0ubuntu8.1
- Version 2.20.9StatusaffectedConstraints<2.20.9-0ubuntu7.8
- Version
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
Configuration 1
- 14.04
- 16.04
- 18.04
- 19.04
- 19.10
Configuration 2
- n/a
No data.
No Red Hat product state for this CVE.
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
No remediation recorded yet.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
1 other source (CVE.org) ▾
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N
No CVSS v3.0 score for this CVE.
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:P/A:P
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
No CISA SSVC assessment for this CVE yet.
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 1, 2026.
Score over time
2021–2026- EPSS v1
- EPSS v5
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
Percentile over time
- EPSS v1
- EPSS v5
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
Table of values (11 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | 0.45% (0.00453) | 37.03th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Sep 20, 2026 | 0.45% (0.00453) | 38.69th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jul 20, 2024 | 0.04% (0.00044) | 12.95th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| May 25, 2024 | 0.04% (0.00044) | 12.27th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 0.04% (0.00044) | 10.26th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 0.89% (0.00885) | 27.89th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 1.40% (0.01404) | 49.02th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 3, 2022 | 2.74% (0.02742) | 63.06th | v1 |
| Jan 6, 2022 | 2.74% (0.02742) | 62.72th | v1 |
| Jan 5, 2022 | 0.62% (0.00624) | 46.35th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Apr 14, 2021 | 0.62% (0.00624) | 0.00th | v1 |
References (3)
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172858/Ubuntu-Apport-Whoopsie-DoS-Integer-Overflow.html
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-4171-1 Third Party Advisory
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-4171-2 Third Party Advisory
| Link | Providers | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172858/Ubuntu-Apport-Whoopsie-DoS-Integer-Overflow.html | ||
| https://usn.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-4171-1 | Third Party Advisory | |
| https://usn.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-4171-2 | Third Party Advisory |
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.