---
title: "CVE-2012-4454\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2012-4454?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2012-4454

Publication date 10 October 2012

Last updated 24 July 2024

---

Ubuntu priority

**Low**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority )

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## Description

openCryptoki before 2.4.1, when using spinlocks, allows local users to
create or set world-writable permissions on arbitrary files via a symlink
attack on the (1) .pkapi\_xpk or (2) .pkcs11spinloc file in /tmp.

[Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2012-4454?format=md#notes)

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| opencryptoki | 19.04 disco | Not affected |
| 18.10 cosmic | Not affected |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not affected |
| 17.10 artful | Ignored end of life |
| 17.04 zesty | Ignored end of life |
| 16.10 yakkety | Ignored end of life |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not affected |
| 15.10 wily | Ignored end of life |
| 15.04 vivid | Ignored end of life |
| 14.10 utopic | Ignored end of life |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release |
| 13.10 saucy | Ignored end of life |
| 13.04 raring | Ignored end of life |
| 12.10 quantal | Ignored end of life |
| 12.04 LTS precise | Ignored end of life |
| 11.10 oneiric | Ignored end of life |
| 11.04 natty | Ignored end of life |
| 10.04 LTS lucid | Ignored end of life |
| 8.04 LTS hardy | Ignored end of life |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)
* [Patch details](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2012-4454?format=md#patch-details)

## Notes

---

### [mdeslaur](https://launchpad.net/~mdeslaur)

members of the pkcs11 group are considered trusted by upstream
and can escalate privileges to root even after the upstream
patches. See oss-security discussion.
Moving this to /var/lock/opencryptoki makes the problem worse
for members of the pkcs11 group as that directory wouldn't be
covered by symlink restrictions. Fix shouldn't be applied to
natty+
Fixing this in lucid would only prevent users who are not in
the pkcs11 group from escalating permissions. Since it is likely
that local users that have this installed are in that group,
this is downgraded to low.

### Patch details

For informational purposes only. We recommend not to cherry-pick updates. [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)

| Package | Patch details |
| --- | --- |
| opencryptoki | * Upstream:   <http://opencryptoki.git.sourceforge.net/git/gitweb.cgi?p=opencryptoki/opencryptoki;a=commitdiff;h=b7fcb3eb0319183348f1f4fb90ede4edd6487c30> * Upstream:   <http://opencryptoki.git.sourceforge.net/git/gitweb.cgi?p=opencryptoki/opencryptoki;a=commitdiff;h=58345488c9351d9be9a4be27c8b407c2706a33a9> * Upstream:   <http://opencryptoki.git.sourceforge.net/git/gitweb.cgi?p=opencryptoki/opencryptoki;a=commitdiff;h=8a63b3b17d34718d0f8c7525f93b5eb3c623076a> * Upstream:   <http://opencryptoki.git.sourceforge.net/git/gitweb.cgi?p=opencryptoki/opencryptoki;a=commitdiff;h=5667edb52cd27b7e512f48f823b4bcc6b872ab15> |

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2012-4454)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-4454)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2012-4454)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2012-4454)

### Other references

* <http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2012/09/07/2>
* <http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2012/09/27/2>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-4454>