https://thehackernews.com/2024/01/new-glibc-flaw-grants-attackers-root.html?m=1
A recently disclosed flaw in the GNU C library can give hackers full root access to Linux machines.
😱
Very well executed responsible disclosure. Good to see all the linux distro's and vendors cooperating. Read the timeline :
https://blog.qualys.com/vulnerabilities-threat-research/2024/01/30/qualys-tru-discovers-important-vulnerabilities-in-gnu-c-librarys-syslog
Noob question: that's a really old library, right? Has this issue been there for decades before someone found it, or is this vulnerability part of some newer addition to it?
Edit: I didn't understand the first sentence of the article so I figured I wouldn't understand any of it -- but my question is answered pretty early on:
It's said to have been accidentally introduced in August 2022 with the release of glibc 2.37.
glibc is the library that provides basic functionality for C programs. It provides the bottom level implementation for things like opening files, requesting memory, and other OS-level stuff.
glibc isn't the only implementation out there. Even on Linux, there are other options, such as muslc.
It gets updated regularly, as the C standard or operating system needs. So while it has been around for a very long time (by software standards anyway) it's still an active and evolving piece of software. --and one that underpins many critical functions of our systems.
Its been around a long time, but evolves with the C standard and the linux kernel. It is basically a layer between C and the kernel.
Don't worry, it's extremely unlikely, given how large and ancient glibc is. The most that might happen is that some new parts are implemented in Rust.
