Unprivileged attackers can get root access on multiple major Linux distributions in default configurations by exploiting a newly disclosed local privilege escalation (LPE) vulnerability in the GNU C Library (glibc).
If it upgrades some stuff, you were vulnerable, but you no longer are. If nothing upgrades, then you were already all good.
If you’re doing that regularly, then your core system will generally be patched fixing almost all exploits in your core system, including this one. If not, you’re vulnerable to this exploit and likely a whole bunch more stuff.
Edit: That’s the simplest answer but if you’re curious you can do a double-check for this particular vulnerability with apt changelog libc6 - generally speaking you won’t see recent changes, but if a package has been recently updated you’ll see a recent fix. So e.g. for this, I see the top change in the changelog is the fix from a couple weeks back:
glibc (2.36-9+deb12u4) bookworm-security; urgency=medium
* debian/patches/any/local-CVE-2023-6246.patch: Fix a heap buffer overflow
in __vsyslog_internal (CVE-2023-6246).
* debian/patches/any/local-CVE-2023-6779.patch: Fix an off-by-one heap
buffer overflow in __vsyslog_internal (CVE-2023-6779).
* debian/patches/any/local-CVE-2023-6780.patch: Fix an integer overflow in
__vsyslog_internal (CVE-2023-6780).
* debian/patches/any/local-qsort-memory-corruption.patch: Fix a memory
corruption in qsort() whenusing nontransitive comparison functions.
-- Aurelien Jarno <aurel32@debian.org> Tue, 23 Jan 2024 21:57:06 +0100
If you are running apt then you are running debian or ubuntu which the article clearly states they are vulnerable.
but anyway I was asking how do I figure it out by myself
All Linux systems will be very likely vulnerable to this if they’re not they’re patched with the fix. Patched systems will not be vulnerable. That’s true for Debian and Ubuntu, as it is for any Linux system. The commands I gave are determining whether or not you’re patched, on a Debian or Ubuntu system.
What distro are you running? I can give you commands like that for any Linux system to determine whether or not you’re patched.
(Edit: Also, as a general rule – don’t type stuff as root just because I or some other random person on the internet tells you to; check the man page or docs to make sure it’s going to do something that you want it to do first.)
Easiest answer:
sudo apt udpate sudo apt upgradeIf it upgrades some stuff, you were vulnerable, but you no longer are. If nothing upgrades, then you were already all good.
If you’re doing that regularly, then your core system will generally be patched fixing almost all exploits in your core system, including this one. If not, you’re vulnerable to this exploit and likely a whole bunch more stuff.
Edit: That’s the simplest answer but if you’re curious you can do a double-check for this particular vulnerability with
apt changelog libc6- generally speaking you won’t see recent changes, but if a package has been recently updated you’ll see a recent fix. So e.g. for this, I see the top change in the changelog is the fix from a couple weeks back:glibc (2.36-9+deb12u4) bookworm-security; urgency=medium * debian/patches/any/local-CVE-2023-6246.patch: Fix a heap buffer overflow in __vsyslog_internal (CVE-2023-6246). * debian/patches/any/local-CVE-2023-6779.patch: Fix an off-by-one heap buffer overflow in __vsyslog_internal (CVE-2023-6779). * debian/patches/any/local-CVE-2023-6780.patch: Fix an integer overflow in __vsyslog_internal (CVE-2023-6780). * debian/patches/any/local-qsort-memory-corruption.patch: Fix a memory corruption in qsort() when using nontransitive comparison functions. -- Aurelien Jarno <aurel32@debian.org> Tue, 23 Jan 2024 21:57:06 +0100If you are running
aptthen you are running debian or ubuntu which the article clearly states they are vulnerable. but anyway I was asking how do I figure it out by myselfAll Linux systems will be very likely vulnerable to this if they’re not they’re patched with the fix. Patched systems will not be vulnerable. That’s true for Debian and Ubuntu, as it is for any Linux system. The commands I gave are determining whether or not you’re patched, on a Debian or Ubuntu system.
What distro are you running? I can give you commands like that for any Linux system to determine whether or not you’re patched.
am running Gentoo with systemd. does a bug in syslog affect me?
I don’t see why it wouldn’t. I think for gentoo, you want to check if you need any security updates with:
emerge --sync emerge gentoolkit glsa-check -l affected(Edit: Also, as a general rule – don’t type stuff as root just because I or some other random person on the internet tells you to; check the man page or docs to make sure it’s going to do something that you want it to do first.)
Thank you!