#VU17180 Man-in-the-middle attack in apt (Debian package) - CVE-2019-3462

Vulnerability identifier: #VU17180

Vulnerability risk: Medium

CVSSv4.0: 8.2 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/U:Green]

CVE-ID: CVE-2019-3462

CWE-ID: CWE-300

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
apt (Debian package)
Operating systems & Components / Operating system package or component

Vendor: Debian

Description
The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to conduct man-in-the-middle attack on the target system.

The weakness exists due to code handling HTTP redirects in the HTTP transport method doesn't properly sanitize fields transmitted over the wire. A remote attacker can use man-in-the-middle attack techniques to inject malicious content in the HTTP connection and execute arbitrary code with root privileges.

Successful exploitation of the vulnerability may result in system compromise.

Mitigation
Update to version 1.4.9.

Vulnerable software versions

apt (Debian package): before 1.4.9

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External links
https://justi.cz/security/2019/01/22/apt-rce.html
https://lists.debian.org/debian-security-announce/2019/msg00010.html

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability. However, proof of concept for this vulnerability is available.