bugtraq - Re: SuSE Linux K-Menu YAST Control Center Priviledge Escalation Vulnerability

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Date: Sat, 07 Aug 2004 10:31:54 +0200
From: Stefan Seifert <nine@...onation.org>
To: bugtraq@...urityfocus.com
Subject: Re: SuSE Linux K-Menu YAST Control Center Priviledge Escalation 
   Vulnerability

Jordan Pilat wrote:

>A vulnerability exists in the implementation of 
>placing the SuSE YAST Control Center in the K Menu.  
>Normally, one would be required to authenticate as 
>root before being granted access to the YAST Control 
>Center.  When placing the 'preferences' submenu in 
>the K Menu (in the 'submenu' section under the 
>'Menus' tab of the K menu panel preferences), 
>however, one can not only access, but make changes to 
>the options in the YAST control center without having 
>to authenticate as root. 
>  
>
You can change options, but cannot save them or install software. It 
will fail silently, or with dubious error messages.

I experienced this after upgrading, when I suddenly was not able to 
change network settings or install new packages when starting the yast 
modules from the K-menu. I first thought that graphical yast was broken 
until I realized that it never asked me for a root password.

So it's not so much a security bug as just a normal usability bug. It's 
just useless to start yast without root privileges.

Stefan Seifert