New Linux Vulnerability Enables a Privilege Escalation
Looney Tunables is a new Linux vulnerability that has been discovered in the GNU C library that can lead to privilege escalation.
CVE-2023-4911 has been discovered in the GNU C library ld.so dynamic loader that can be exploited to give bad actors root privileges on major Linux distributions.
This vulnerability resides in the glibc dynamic loader and can be exploited in the processing of the GLIBC_TUNABLES environment variable. This flaw was discovered and originally reported by Qualys.
The dynamic loader defines system calls and other functionalities such as open, malloc, printf, and exit. This crucial component of glibc examines a program (when it is initiated) and determines the shared libraries it requires. The dynamic loader then searches for the libraries, loads them into memory, and links them to the program at runtime.
The GLIBC_TUNABLES environment variable was added to glibc to give users the capability of modifying the library's runtime behavior. Qualys discovered the presence of a buffer overflow flaw that poses a serious threat to all major Linux distributions.
If affected, a threat actor could gain root privileges and wreak havoc on a system. Distributions such as Debian 12 and 13, Ubuntu 22.04 and 23.04, and Fedora 37 and 38 are all affected.
This vulnerability should be taken seriously and admins are encouraged to patch immediately.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 Drops bcachefs
After a clash over some late fixes and disagreements between bcachefs's lead developer and Linus Torvalds, bachefs is out.
-
ONLYOFFICE v9 Embraces AI
Like nearly all office suites on the market (except LibreOffice), ONLYOFFICE has decided to go the AI route.
-
Two Local Privilege Escalation Flaws Discovered in Linux
Qualys researchers have discovered two local privilege escalation vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain root privileges on major Linux distributions.
-
New TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro Powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300
The TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
Danish Ministry of Digital Affairs Transitions to Linux
Another major organization has decided to kick Microsoft Windows and Office to the curb in favor of Linux.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.
-
TuxCare Announces Support for AlmaLinux 9.2
Thanks to TuxCare, AlmaLinux 9.2 (and soon version 9.6) now enjoys years of ongoing patching and compliance.
-
Go-Based Botnet Attacking IoT Devices
Using an SSH credential brute-force attack, the Go-based PumaBot is exploiting IoT devices everywhere.
-
Plasma 6.5 Promises Better Memory Optimization
With the stable Plasma 6.4 on the horizon, KDE has a few new tricks up its sleeve for Plasma 6.5.
-
KaOS 2025.05 Officially Qt5 Free
If you're a fan of independent Linux distributions, the team behind KaOS is proud to announce the latest iteration that includes kernel 6.14 and KDE's Plasma 6.3.5.