systemd: Integer overflow, leading to heap-based buffer overflow by processing native messages

Integer overflow in the valid_user_field function in journal/journald-native.c in systemd allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a large journal data field, which triggers a heap-based buffer overflow.

systemd: Improper sanitization of invalid XKB layouts descriptions (privilege escalation when custom PolicyKit local authority file used)

The SetX11Keyboard function in systemd, when PolicyKit Local Authority (PKLA) is used to change the group permissions on the X Keyboard Extension (XKB) layouts description, allows local users in the group to modify the Xorg X11 Server configuration file and possibly gain privileges via vectors involving "special and control characters."

journald in systemd, when the origin of native messages is set to file, allows local users to cause a denial of service (logging service blocking) via a crafted file descriptor.

systemd: insecure calling of polkit

systemd does not properly use D-Bus for communication with a polkit authority, which allows local users to bypass intended access restrictions by leveraging a PolkitUnixProcess PolkitSubject race condition via a (1) setuid process or (2) pkexec process, a related issue to CVE-2013-4288.

An issue was discovered in systemd 253. An attacker can modify a sealed log file such that, in some views, not all existing and sealed log messages are displayed. NOTE: the vendor reportedly sent "a reply denying that any of the finding was a security vulnerability."

An issue was discovered in systemd 253. An attacker can modify the contents of past events in a sealed log file and then adjust the file such that checking the integrity shows no error, despite modifications. NOTE: the vendor reportedly sent "a reply denying that any of the finding was a security vulnerability."

An issue was discovered in systemd 253. An attacker can truncate a sealed log file and then resume log sealing such that checking the integrity shows no error, despite modifications. NOTE: the vendor reportedly sent "a reply denying that any of the finding was a security vulnerability."

systemd-resolved: use-after-free when dealing with DnsStream in resolved-dns-stream.c

A use-after-free vulnerability was found in systemd. This issue occurs due to the on_stream_io() function and dns_stream_complete() function in 'resolved-dns-stream.c' not incrementing the reference counting for the DnsStream object. Therefore, other functions and callbacks called can dereference the DNSStream object, causing the use-after-free when the reference is still used later.

systemd: Insufficient input validation in bus_process_object() resulting in PID 1 crash

An issue was discovered in sd-bus in systemd 239. bus_process_object() in libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-objects.c allocates a variable-length stack buffer for temporarily storing the object path of incoming D-Bus messages. An unprivileged local user can exploit this by sending a specially crafted message to PID1, causing the stack pointer to jump over the stack guard pages into an unmapped memory region and trigger a denial of service (systemd PID1 crash and kernel panic).

systemd: systemd-resolved allows unprivileged users to configure DNS

In systemd 240, bus_open_system_watch_bind_with_description in shared/bus-util.c (as used by systemd-resolved to connect to the system D-Bus instance), calls sd_bus_set_trusted, which disables access controls for incoming D-Bus messages. An unprivileged user can exploit this by executing D-Bus methods that should be restricted to privileged users, in order to change the system's DNS resolver settings.

systemd: incorrect certificate validation results in acceptance of any certificate signed by a trusted certificate authority for DNS over TLS

systemd 239 through 245 accepts any certificate signed by a trusted certificate authority for DNS Over TLS. Server Name Indication (SNI) is not sent, and there is no hostname validation with the GnuTLS backend. NOTE: This has been disputed by the developer as not a vulnerability since hostname validation does not have anything to do with this issue (i.e. there is no hostname to be sent)

systemd: automount: access to automounted volumes can lock up

In systemd prior to 234 a race condition exists between .mount and .automount units such that automount requests from kernel may not be serviced by systemd resulting in kernel holding the mountpoint and any processes that try to use said mount will hang. A race condition like this may lead to denial of service, until mount points are unmounted.

systemd: kills privileged process if unprivileged PIDFile was tampered

It was discovered systemd does not correctly check the content of PIDFile files before using it to kill processes. When a service is run from an unprivileged user (e.g. User field set in the service file), a local attacker who is able to write to the PIDFile of the mentioned service may use this flaw to trick systemd into killing other services and/or privileged processes. Versions before v237 are vulnerable.

systemd: Unsafe handling of hard links allowing privilege escalation

systemd-tmpfiles in systemd before 237 attempts to support ownership/permission changes on hardlinked files even if the fs.protected_hardlinks sysctl is turned off, which allows local users to bypass intended access restrictions via vectors involving a hard link to a file for which the user lacks write access, as demonstrated by changing the ownership of the /etc/passwd file.

systemd 37-1 does not properly handle non-existent services, which causes a denial of service (failure of login procedure).