1. Ubuntu Security Notices
  2. USN-1117-1

USN-1117-1: PolicyKit vulnerability

Publication date

19 April 2011

Overview

Local users could gain root access by using the pkexec tool in PolicyKit.

Releases

Packages

  • policykit-1 - framework for managing administrative policies and privileges

Details

Neel Mehta discovered that PolicyKit did not correctly verify the user
making authorization requests. A local attacker could exploit this to
trick pkexec into running applications with root privileges.

Neel Mehta discovered that PolicyKit did not correctly verify the user
making authorization requests. A local attacker could exploit this to
trick pkexec into running applications with root privileges.

Update instructions

After a standard system update you need to reboot your computer to make all the necessary changes.

Learn more about how to get the fixes.

The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions:

Ubuntu Release Package Version
9.10 karmic libpolkit-backend-1-0 –  0.94-1ubuntu1.1
10.10 maverick libpolkit-backend-1-0 –  0.96-2ubuntu1.1
10.04 lucid libpolkit-backend-1-0 –  0.96-2ubuntu0.1

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References

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