QNX Neutrino RTOS contains a flaw that may allow a local attacker to elevate their privileges. The issue is due to the improper handling of environment variables in the libph library (used by many applications in the Photon API package). The libph system library (libph.so.3) does not check the bounds on user-supplied input to the PHOTON_PATH variable allowing a user to overflow the setitem() function, which will execute arbitrary code under the privilege of the utility calling the library. Since many of the applications linked against libph.so.3 are SUID, there are many vectors for using this to leverage privileged access.

Currently, there are no known upgrades or patches to correct this issue. It is possible to correct the flaw by implementing the following workaround: remove the setuid bit from any programs linked to libph.so.3

• Security Tracker: 1015599
• Secunia Advisory ID: 18750
• CVE ID: 2006-0619 (see also: NVD)
• ISS X-Force ID: 24557
• VUPEN Advisory: ADV-2006-0474
• Mail List Post: http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2006-02/0117.html
• Other Advisory URL: http://www.idefense.com/intelligence/vulnerabilities/display.php?id=382
• Vendor URL: http://www.qnx.com/products/rtos/

• Filipe Balestra - iDefense Labs VCP