Sudo execveat Policy Bypass via ptrace Intercept

Executive Summary

Sudo through 1.9.17p2 fails to apply intercept policy checks to the execveat system call in ptrace-based intercept mode. Users permitted to run specific commands can execute denied programs by calling execveat directly or through fexecve, bypassing policy enforcement and logging.

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Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, check your sudo version with 'sudo --version' and compare it against 1.9.17p2 or earlier. If affected, look for unauthorized command execution attempts in logs, particularly those bypassing sudo policies via execveat or fexecve. Monitor for unusual process activity or privilege escalation events.

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Impact Analysis

This vulnerability allows users with limited sudo privileges to bypass restrictions and execute unauthorized programs. It can lead to privilege escalation, unauthorized command execution, and potential system compromise. Attackers could run malicious software while evading detection due to disabled logging.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows unauthorized program execution by bypassing sudo's policy enforcement and logging. For compliance with standards like GDPR and HIPAA, which require strict access controls and audit logging, this flaw could lead to unauthorized data access or modifications, violating data protection requirements.

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Mitigation Strategies

Immediately update sudo to the latest patched version. If updating is not possible, restrict sudo permissions to trusted users only and disable ptrace-based intercept mode in sudoers configuration. Review and tighten sudoers policy rules to minimize potential bypass vectors.

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