---
title: "CVE-2013-4788\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-2013-4788?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2013-4788

Publication date 4 October 2013

Last updated 24 July 2024

---

Ubuntu priority

**Low**

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

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## Description

The PTR\_MANGLE implementation in the GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6)
2.4, 2.17, and earlier, and Embedded GLIBC (EGLIBC) does not initialize the
random value for the pointer guard, which makes it easier for
context-dependent attackers to control execution flow by leveraging a
buffer-overflow vulnerability in an application and using the known zero
value pointer guard to calculate a pointer address.

[Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2013-4788?format=md#notes)

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| eglibc | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not affected |
| 13.10 saucy | Ignored |
| 13.04 raring | Ignored end of life |
| 12.10 quantal | Ignored end of life |
| 12.04 LTS precise | Ignored |
| 10.04 LTS lucid | Ignored |

---

* [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-2013-4788?format=md#patch-details)

## Notes

---

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

PoC in linux-distros@ (tested on Ubuntu 12.04, 13.04 and Debian 7.1)
Only statically compiled executables, dynamic not affected
upstream patch not available as of 2013-07-12

---

### [seth-arnold](https://launchpad.net/~seth-arnold)

PTR MANGLE is a security-hardening feature; exploiting this flaw
requires a flaw in a statically linked executable that allows write
access to one of the types of pointers that is mangled. Fixing the
consequences of this flaw requires rebuilding all security-sensitive
statically linked executables.

---

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

fix for this was reverted in saucy as it was causing the ARM
testuite to fail.

---

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

fix was re-enabled in trusty with the addition of the
patches/any/cvs-CVE-2013-4788-static-ptrguard-arm.diff patch.

---

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

we will not be fixing this issue for earlier releases.

### 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 |
| --- | --- |
| eglibc | * Other:   <http://hmarco.org/bugs/patches/ptr_mangle-eglibc-2.17.patch> * Upstream:   <https://sourceware.org/git/?p=glibc.git;a=commit;h=c61b4d41c9647a54a329aa021341c0eb032b793e> * Upstream:   <https://sourceware.org/git/?p=glibc.git;a=commit;h=0b1f8e35640f5b3f7af11764ade3ff060211c309> * Upstream:   <https://sourceware.org/git/?p=glibc.git;a=commit;h=5ebbff8fd1529aec13ac4d2906c1a36f3e738519> |

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-4788)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-4788)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2013-4788)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2013-4788)

### Other references

* <http://hmarco.org/bugs/CVE-2013-4788.html>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2013-4788>