Description
The abrt-action-install-debuginfo-to-abrt-cache help program in Automatic Bug Reporting Tool (ABRT) before 2.7.1 allows local users to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack on unpacked.cpio in a pre-created directory with a predictable name in /var/tmp.
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.
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 7 | abrt +20 | 2.1.11-35.el7 | RHSA-2015:2505 |
| RHEL 7 | libreport +21 | 2.1.11-31.el7 | RHSA-2015:2505 |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 7 | abrt +20 | 2.1.11-35.0.1.el7 | ELSA-2015-2505 |
| Oracle Linux 7 | libreport +19 | 2.1.11-31.0.1.el7 | ELSA-2015-2505 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Third-party code, not reviewed by us. Public PoCs are sometimes fake or contain malware. Read the code first and run it only in an isolated lab, against systems you are authorised to test.
Exploit-DB 1
- abrt (Centos 7.1 / Fedora 22) - Local Privilege Escalation EDB-38835 · local · Dec 1, 2015 · verified
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 2
- RHSA-2015:2505 Red Hat Security Advisory: abrt and libreport security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Aug 27, 2026
- ELSA-2015-2505 Moderate: abrt and libreport security update (Oracle Linux 7) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Nov 25, 2015
References
- RHSA-2015:2505 vendor-advisory
- [oss-security] 20151201 CVE-2015-5273 + CVE-2015-5287, abrt local root in Centos/Fedora/RHEL mailing-list
- http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinoct2015-2719645.html
- 78113 vdb-entry
- https://github.com/abrt/abrt/commit/50ee8130fb4cd4ef1af7682a2c85dd99cb99424e
- FEDORA-2015-79c1758468 vendor-advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1262252