Description
The Config::IniFiles module before 2.71 for Perl creates temporary files with predictable names, which allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information. NOTE: it has been reported that this might only be exploitable by writing in the same directory as the .ini file. If this is the case, then this issue might not cross privilege boundaries.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | libconfig-inifiles-perl | 2.72-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | libconfig-inifiles-perl | 2.72-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | libconfig-inifiles-perl | 2.72-1 | — |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | perl-Config-IniFiles | 2.94-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2024:10146-1 |
Advisories 1
- openSUSE-SU-2024:10146-1 perl-Config-IniFiles-2.94-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
References
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=818386
- https://bitbucket.org/shlomif/perl-config-inifiles/changeset/a08fa26f4f59
- config-inifiles-symlink(75328) vdb-entry
- FEDORA-2012-7802 vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2012-7763 vendor-advisory
- 48990 third-party-advisory
- USN-1543-1 vendor-advisory
- 81671 vdb-entry
- [oss-security] 20120502 temporary file issue in Config::IniFiles Config-IniFiles perl-Config-IniFiles mailing-list
- 53361 vdb-entry
- FEDORA-2012-7777 vendor-advisory