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CWE-403

Exposure of File Descriptor to Unintended Control Sphere ('File Descriptor Leak')

Base

Draft

Description

A process does not close sensitive file descriptors before invoking a child process, which allows the child to perform unauthorized I/O operations using those descriptors.

When a new process is forked or executed, the child process inherits any open file descriptors. When the child process has fewer privileges than the parent process, this might introduce a vulnerability if the child process can access the file descriptor but does not have the privileges to access the associated file.

Parent Weaknesses (ChildOf)

CWE-402: Transmission of Private Resour...

Common Consequences

Scope

Confidentiality

Integrity

Impact

Read Application Data, Modify Application Data

CVE-2003-0740

Server leaks a privileged file descriptor, allowing the server to be hijacked.

CVE-2004-1033

File descriptor leak allows read of restricted files.

CVE-2000-0094

Access to restricted resource using modified file descriptor for stderr.

CVE-2002-0638

Open file descriptor used as alternate channel in complex race condition.

CVE-2003-0489

Program does not fully drop privileges after creating a file descriptor, which allows access to the descriptor via a separate vulnerability.

CVE-2003-0937

User bypasses restrictions by obtaining a file descriptor then calling setuid program, which does not close the descriptor.

CVE-2004-2215

Terminal manager does not properly close file descriptors, allowing attackers to access terminals of other users.

CVE-2006-5397

Module opens a file for reading twice, allowing attackers to read files.

Applicable Platforms

C

Not Language-Specific

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