Description
NetworkManager-l2tp through 1.52.4, fixed in 1.52.6, contains an improper input validation vulnerability that allows local users with VPN connection creation permissions to inject arbitrary pppd directives by supplying mru or mtu property values containing trailing non-numeric content after a valid integer. Attackers can exploit the verbatim write of unvalidated strings into the pppd options file via write_config_option() to inject the plugin directive, causing the privileged pppd process to load an attacker-controlled shared object and achieve arbitrary code execution as root.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| nm-l2tp | NetworkManager-l2tp | ≤ 1.52.4 | 1.52.6 |
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 | network-manager-l2tp | 1.52.6-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | network-manager-l2tp | 1.20.20-2+deb13u1 | — |
| Debian 12 | network-manager-l2tp | 1.20.8-1+deb12u1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | network-manager-l2tp | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | network-manager-l2tp | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | network-manager-l2tp | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | network-manager-l2tp | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | network-manager-l2tp | No fix yet | — |
References
- GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-rp84-8h2r-5xc3) vendor-advisory
- Patch Commit patch
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/networkmanager-l2tp-privilege-escalation-via-pppd-plugin-injection third-party-advisory