CVE-2019-10168: libvirt Execution with Unnecessary Privileges

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2019-10168 is a high (CVSS 8.8) Execution with Unnecessary Privileges vulnerability in libvirt. EPSS estimates a 0.55% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 44.8% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 02-08-2019
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 04-08-2024
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

The virConnectBaselineHypervisorCPU() and virConnectCompareHypervisorCPU() libvirt APIs, 4.x.x before 4.10.1 and 5.x.x before 5.4.1, accept an "emulator" argument to specify the program providing emulation for a domain. Since v1.2.19, libvirt will execute that program to probe the domain's capabilities. Read-only clients could specify an arbitrary path for this argument, causing libvirtd to execute a crafted executable with its own privileges.

• CWE-250Execution with Unnecessary PrivilegesThe product performs an operation at a privilege level that is higher than the minimum level required, which creates new weaknesses or amplifies the consequences of other weaknesses.
• CWE-284Improper Access ControlThe product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.
• CWE-22Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.