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Vulnerability Description

CVE-2025-12744 is an OS Command Injection vulnerability found in the Automatic Bug Reporting Tool (ABRT) daemon.

Technical Details

  • The ABRT daemon copies up to 12 characters from untrusted user-supplied input.
  • These characters are inserted directly into a shell command: docker inspect %s without proper validation.
  • An unprivileged local user can create a payload that injects shell metacharacters.
  • The ABRT process, running as root, executes commands controlled by the attacker.
  • This allows privilege escalation, granting the attacker full root privileges.
  • The vulnerability does not require user interaction, but does require local access.
  • CVSS 3.1: 8.8 (High), reflecting a high impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability, and low exploitation complexity.
  • The root of the problem is insecure handling of shell commands and lack of input validation.

Potential Impact

  • Severe for European organizations that rely on Linux-based infrastructure.
  • Sectors affected: finance, government, health, critical infrastructure.
  • Total system compromise, data theft, service interruption.
  • Ability to use the compromised system as a pivot point for additional attacks.
  • High risk for confidentiality, integrity and availability.
  • Especially dangerous in multi-user environments or with untrusted local access.
  • Threat to container environments using Docker.

Mitigation Recommendations

  • Immediately apply patches or updates available from Linux distribution vendors.
  • If patches are not available, temporarily disable the ABRT service.
  • Restrict local user access, applying the principle of least privilege.
  • Implement mandatory access controls (SELinux, AppArmor).
  • Monitor system logs for unusual ABRT activity or unexpected command executions.
  • Perform regular audits of local user accounts and their permissions.
  • Harden container environments by limiting Docker socket access.
  • Use host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS).
  • Educate system administrators about the risks of command injection vulnerabilities and the importance of input validation.

References

  • CVE-2025-12744

Conclusions

The CVE-2025-12744 vulnerability represents a significant risk to Linux systems using ABRT, allowing privilege escalation via command injection. Timely patching, security hardening, and awareness are crucial to mitigating this risk.