---
title: "CVE-2014-2886\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-2014-2886?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2014-2886

Publication date 18 September 2014

Last updated 24 July 2024

---

Ubuntu priority

**Low**

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

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## Description

GKSu 2.0.2, when sudo-mode is not enabled, uses " (double quote) characters
in a gksu-run-helper argument, which allows attackers to execute arbitrary
commands in certain situations involving an untrusted substring within this
argument, as demonstrated by an untrusted filename encountered during
installation of a VirtualBox extension pack.

[Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2014-2886?format=md#notes)

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| gksu | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 25.10 questing | Not in release |
| 25.04 plucky | Not in release |
| 24.10 oracular | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble | Not in release |
| 23.10 mantic | Not in release |
| 23.04 lunar | Not in release |
| 22.10 kinetic | Not in release |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release |
| 21.10 impish | Not in release |
| 21.04 hirsute | Not in release |
| 20.10 groovy | Not in release |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release |
| 19.10 eoan | Not in release |
| 19.04 disco | Not in release |
| 18.10 cosmic | Not in release |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release |
| 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 | Vulnerable |
| 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 | Vulnerable |
| 12.04 LTS precise | Ignored end of life |
| 10.04 LTS lucid | 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)

## Notes

---

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

in Ubuntu, sudo-mode is the default, and the root account has
no password. On top of that, the fault actually lies in
VirtualBox that is not properly escaping the filename before
calling gksu.

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2014-2886)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-2886)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2014-2886)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2014-2886)

### Other references

* <https://community.rapid7.com/community/metasploit/blog/2014/07/07/virtualbox-filename-command-execution-via-gksu>
* <http://savannah.nongnu.org/bugs/?40023>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-2886>