CVE-2014-4996: VladTheEnterprising VladTheEnterprising Allows Local Users To Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-x4vj-279x-qwf2
Share
CVSS 5.5
CWE-59
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2014-4996 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.5) vladtheenterprising allows local users to vulnerability (CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')) affecting VladTheEnterprising libraries in the RubyGems ecosystem. The issue involves vladtheenterprising allows local users to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2014-4996 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2014-4996
GHSA Identifier GHSA-x4vj-279x-qwf2
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.5
CWE Classification CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
Affected Product VladTheEnterprising
Package Ecosystem RubyGems
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N).

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2014-4996

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected VladTheEnterprising dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

VladTheEnterprising fixed: Latest secure release 
Upgrade VladTheEnterprising to Latest secure release
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for VladTheEnterprising

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2014-4996, inspect your project dependencies for VladTheEnterprising:

inspect dependencies for VladTheEnterprising

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of VladTheEnterprising in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following'), where the product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource. In VladTheEnterprising, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

`lib/vlad/dba/mysql.rb` in the VladTheEnterprising gem 0.2 for Ruby allows local users to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack on `/tmp/my.cnf.#{target_host}`.

CVE-2014-4996 Affected VladTheEnterprising Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
VladTheEnterprising
gem/VladTheEnterprising
RubyGems
≤ 0.2

References

NVD — CVE-2014-4996 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-4996
exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/947... WEB
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/94744
VladTheEnterprising Security Information SECURITY
https://web.archive.org/web/20200229054941/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/68731
VladTheEnterprising Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/07/07/14
VladTheEnterprising Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/07/17/5
www.vapid.dhs.org/advisories/vladthee... WEB
http://www.vapid.dhs.org/advisories/VladTheEnterprising-0.2.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2014-4996?
CVE-2014-4996 is a security vulnerability in VladTheEnterprising involving VladTheEnterprising allows local users to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following').
Which VladTheEnterprising versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: VladTheEnterprising.
What version fixes CVE-2014-4996?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is VladTheEnterprising affected?
Yes, VladTheEnterprising is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2014-4996?
CVE-2014-4996 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2014-4996?
CVE-2014-4996 is classified under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') (The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.).
How can I check RubyGems dependencies for CVE-2014-4996?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for VladTheEnterprising'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-x4vj-279x-qwf2",
  "modified" : "2023-01-27T00:50:46Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-14T03:48:04Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2014-4996" ],
  "summary" : "VladTheEnterprising allows local users to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack",
  "details" : "`lib/vlad/dba/mysql.rb` in the VladTheEnterprising gem 0.2 for Ruby allows local users to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack on `/tmp/my.cnf.#{target_host}`.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "RubyGems",
      "name" : "VladTheEnterprising"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "0.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-4996"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/94744"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20200229054941/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/68731"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/07/07/14"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/07/17/5"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.vapid.dhs.org/advisories/VladTheEnterprising-0.2.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-59" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-01-27T00:50:46Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2018-01-10T18:29:00Z"
  }
}