Slackware Linux 3.4 - 'makebootdisk' Temporary File

Author: neonhaze
type: local
platform: linux
port: 
date_added: 1998-04-06 
date_updated: 2014-01-02 
verified: 1 
codes: OSVDB-82888 
tags: 
aliases:  
screenshot_url:  
application_url: 

source: https://www.securityfocus.com/bid/78/info

makebootdisk creates the file /tmp/return insecurely and follows symbolic links. An attacker can create a symbolic link from /tmp/return to any file and wait for root to run the program. This will clober the target file. The file created has permissions -rw-r--r--.

$ ln -s /tmp/return /etc/passwd
< wait for root to run makebootdisk >