Executive brief
A vulnerability in the BSD operating system allows certain local users to bypass security restrictions and modify system memory. This could allow an attacker who already has limited access to the system to gain full control, potentially leading to the theft of sensitive data or a complete system takeover. The issue specifically affects users with 'kmem' group privileges, which are typically reserved for system monitoring tools.
Technical details
The vulnerability exists within the mmap function implementation in BSD-based operating systems. It allows a local attacker who is a member of the 'kmem' group to map and modify kernel memory through character devices. By gaining write access to system memory, an attacker can escalate their privileges to root or execute arbitrary code with kernel-level permissions. This flaw stems from insufficient access control checks when mapping memory-resident device files.
Affected products
- BSD BSD
Timeline
- 1998-02-01: disclosed