CVE-2022-39245 is a vulnerability affecting versions of the 'mist' command-line interface for the makedeb Package Repository prior to version 0.9.5. The flaw arises from an authentication bypass caused by improper handling of the 'sudo' binary path. Specifically, the application relies on the user's PATH environment variable to locate the 'sudo' executable. A local attacker can exploit this by placing a malicious 'sudo' binary earlier in the PATH, causing the mist CLI to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-305 (Authentication Bypass by Primary Weakness) and CWE-287 (Improper Authentication), indicating that the application fails to properly verify the authenticity of the 'sudo' command it invokes. The root cause is the trust placed in the PATH environment variable without validation or use of absolute paths for critical binaries. The vulnerability allows local privilege escalation, enabling an unprivileged user to gain root-level access on the system running mist versions before 0.9.5. The issue was patched in version 0.9.5, but no known workarounds exist for earlier versions. There are no known exploits in the wild as of the published date, and the vulnerability requires local access to the system, meaning remote exploitation is not feasible without prior access. The attack does not require user interaction beyond the attacker’s ability to manipulate the PATH environment variable and execute mist commands. Given the nature of the vulnerability, it primarily impacts systems where mist is installed and used, which are typically development or build environments relying on the makedeb package repository tooling.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability is primarily related to local privilege escalation on developer or build systems using mist versions prior to 0.9.5. Successful exploitation could allow an attacker with local access to gain root privileges, potentially leading to full system compromise. This could result in unauthorized access to sensitive build artifacts, source code, or the ability to tamper with package repositories, undermining software supply chain integrity. Organizations with strict compliance requirements around software provenance and build environment security could face regulatory and reputational risks if such a compromise occurs. The vulnerability does not directly enable remote attacks, so the risk is limited to insiders or attackers who have already gained some level of access. However, in environments where mist is used on shared or multi-user systems, the risk of lateral privilege escalation increases. Additionally, compromised build environments can be leveraged to inject malicious code into software packages, posing downstream risks to customers and partners. Given the lack of known exploits in the wild, the immediate threat level is moderate, but the potential for severe impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of build systems and software supply chains is significant if exploited.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize upgrading all instances of mist to version 0.9.5 or later, where the issue is patched. Since no workarounds exist, patching is the primary defense. Additionally, organizations should implement strict controls over the PATH environment variable in build and developer environments to prevent unauthorized modifications. This includes enforcing immutable environment configurations, restricting write permissions on directories included in PATH, and validating the integrity and location of critical binaries like 'sudo'. Employing application whitelisting or binary allowlisting can further reduce the risk of executing malicious binaries. Monitoring and auditing the execution of mist and related commands for anomalous behavior or unexpected privilege escalations can help detect exploitation attempts. For environments where mist is used, consider isolating build systems and limiting user access to reduce the attack surface. Finally, integrating these controls into continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines and developer workstation security policies will help maintain a secure posture against this and similar vulnerabilities.