Description
Open vSwitch 1.4.2 uses world writable permissions for (1) /var/lib/openvswitch/pki/controllerca/incoming/ and (2) /var/lib/openvswitch/pki/switchca/incoming/, which allows local users to delete and overwrite arbitrary files.
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 | openvswitch | 1.4.2+git20120612-8 | — |
| Debian 13 | openvswitch | 1.4.2+git20120612-8 | — |
| Debian 12 | openvswitch | 1.4.2+git20120612-8 | — |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | openvswitch | 2.6.1-2.1 | openSUSE-SU-2024:10150-1 |
Advisories 1
- openSUSE-SU-2024:10150-1 openvswitch-2.6.1-2.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
References
- 54789 vdb-entry
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=845350
- 54794 vdb-entry
- [oss-security] 20120803 Re: openvswitch world writable directories (CVE-2012-3449) mailing-list
- http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=683665
- openvswitch-privilege-escalation(77417) vdb-entry
- [oss-security] 20120802 openvswitch world writable directories (CVE-2012-3449) mailing-list