Privilege escalation in IBM VIOS

1) Security restrictions bypass

EUVDB-ID: #VU59268

Risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 5.9 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2021-38990

CWE-ID: CWE-264 - Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls

Exploit availability: No

Description

The vulnerability allows a local user to escalate privileges on the system.

The vulnerability exists due to an error in he mount command. A local user can execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.

Mitigation

Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

IBM VIOS: 3.1.0 - 3.1.2

CPE2.3

• cpe:2.3:a:ibm_corporation:ibm_vios:3.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:ibm_corporation:ibm_vios:3.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:ibm_corporation:ibm_vios:3.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

External links

https://aix.software.ibm.com/aix/efixes/security/mount_advisory.asc

Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.