---
title: 'USN-1351-1: AccountsService vulnerability | Ubuntu security notices'
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/notices/USN-1351-1
---

1. [Ubuntu Security Notices](https://ubuntu.com/security/notices)
2. USN-1351-1

---

# USN-1351-1: AccountsService vulnerability

Publication date

31 January 2012

Overview

AccountsService could be made to overwrite files as the administrator.

Releases

[11.10](https://ubuntu.com/security/notices?release=oneiric)

---

Open side navigation

## Packages

* [accountsservice](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves?package=accountsservice) - query and manipulate user account information

## Details

Hayawardh Vijayakumar discovered that AccountsService incorrectly handled
privileges when modifying the language settings on Ubuntu. A local attacker
could exploit this issue to modify arbitrary files, and possibly create a
denial of service or obtain increased privileges.

## Update instructions

After a standard system update you need to reboot your computer to make
all the necessary changes.

[Learn more about how to get the fixes.](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)

The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions:

| Ubuntu Release | Package Version |
| --- | --- |
| 11.10 oneiric | [accountsservice](https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/accountsservice) –  [0.6.14-1git1ubuntu1.1](https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/accountsservice/0.6.14-1git1ubuntu1.1) | | |

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## References

* [CVE-2011-4406](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2011-4406)