PuppetApplication

CVE-2012-1053

MEDIUM · 6.9 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-05-29

Mitigation only

No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.

See remediation →

74/100

Remediation priority · Elevated

No privileges Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

The change_user method in the SUIDManager (lib/puppet/util/suidmanager.rb) in Puppet 2.6.x before 2.6.14 and 2.7.x before 2.7.11, and Puppet Enterprise (PE) Users 1.0, 1.1, 1.2.x, 2.0.x before 2.0.3 does not properly manage group privileges, which allows local users to gain privileges via vectors related to (1) the change_user not dropping supplementary groups in certain conditions, (2) changes to the eguid without associated changes to the egid, or (3) the addition of the real gid to supplementary groups.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The SUIDManager's change_user method in Puppet versions 2.6.x before 2.6.14 and 2.7.x before 2.7.11 fails to properly manage group privileges, allowing local users to gain privileges through three vectors: not dropping supplementary groups, changing eguid without egid, and improperly adding the real gid to supplementary groups.

MitigationUpgrade Puppet to version 2.6.14 or 2.7.11 or later (or Puppet Enterprise to 2.0.3+). If immediate patching is not possible, restrict local access to systems running Puppet and review SUIDManager usage.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

PuppetApplication

Affected:= 2.6.0= 2.6.1= 2.6.2= 2.6.3= 2.6.4= 2.6.5= 2.6.6= 2.6.7= 2.6.8= 2.6.9= 2.6.10= 2.6.11

PuppetApplication

Affected:= 2.7.0= 2.7.1

Puppet EnterpriseApplication

Affected:= 1.2.0= 1.2.1= 1.2.2= 1.2.3= 1.2.4= 2.0.0= 2.0.1= 2.0.2

Puppet Enterprise UsersApplication

Affected:= 1.0= 1.1

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Local
Complexity: M
Authentication: None
Confidentiality: Complete
Integrity: Complete
Availability: Complete

AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

Identify Puppet installation type and version

Run 'puppet --version' for open-source Puppet or check '/opt/puppet/bin/puppet --version' for Puppet Enterprise to determine the exact version installed

Affected if The installed version is 2.6.0 through 2.6.11, or 2.7.0-2.7.1 for open-source; or 1.2.0-1.2.4 or 2.0.0-2.0.2 for Puppet Enterprise; or 1.0-1.1 for Puppet Enterprise Users
Locate SUIDManager module

Search for the SUIDManager file in the Puppet lib directory: 'find /usr -name suidmanager.rb 2>/dev/null' or check the puppet lib path returned by 'puppet --configprint libdir'

Affected if The SUIDManager module exists on the system, indicating this feature is available for use
Verify if SUIDManager is being used

Check Puppet manifests for 'suidmanager' resource usage: 'grep -r "suidmanager" /etc/puppet/manifests/' or review any custom modules that manage suid/sgid binaries

Affected if Puppet is actively managing suid/sgid binaries via SUIDManager, allowing the privilege escalation vectors to be triggered
Check if Puppet runs with elevated privileges

Review cron jobs, init scripts, or service configurations for Puppet running as root: 'ps aux | grep puppet' and check '/etc/sysconfig/puppet' or '/etc/puppet/puppet.conf' for user settings

Affected if Puppet runs as root or with SUID bits set, which enables the group privilege management flaw to be exploited

You are affected if Puppet or Puppet Enterprise version falls within the vulnerable ranges AND SUIDManager is actively managing suid/sgid binaries on the system.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Remediation

From vendor data

Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime

Mitigation

Upgrade Puppet to version 2.6.14 or 2.7.11 or later (or Puppet Enterprise to 2.0.3+). If immediate patching is not possible, restrict local access to systems running Puppet and review SUIDManager usage.

Fix this in Puppet Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation3.0 h
Implementation6.0 h
Testing5.0 h
Review / QA3.0 h

17.0 hours of engineering $2,970

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Scan for this in your stack

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-1053 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2012-1053?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here

Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data

At a glance

A fix existsA vendor remedy is published

Severity 6.9 Medium

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 0.4%

Affects: Puppet

Remediation

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Fix this in Puppet 17 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $2,970

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Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

Check your environment

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References