Networkmanager-libreswan: local privilege escalation via leftupdown
Priority LOW 36CWE-94Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 15 fixed, 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-94.
Summary
A flaw was found in the libreswan client plugin for NetworkManager (NetkworkManager-libreswan), where it fails to properly sanitize the VPN configuration from the local unprivileged user. In this configuration, composed by a key-value format, the plugin fails to escape special characters, leading the application to interpret values as keys. One of the most critical parameters that could be abused by a malicious user is the `leftupdown`key. This key takes an executable command as a value and is used to specify what executes as a callback in NetworkManager-libreswan to retrieve configuration settings back to NetworkManager. As NetworkManager uses Polkit to allow an unprivileged user to control the system's network configuration, a malicious actor could achieve local privilege escalation and potential code execution as root in the targeted machine by creating a malicious configuration.
Why it matters now
Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00457 39th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial NetworkManager-libreswan: 1.2.24Red Hat: 11 advisoriesRed Hat: 15 fixed, 1 without a fix
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | NetworkManager-libreswan | before 1.2.24 | 1.2.24 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.7 Advanced Update Support | — | 1.2.4-4.el7_7 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Extended Lifecycle Support | — | 1.2.4-4.el7_9 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | — | 1.2.10-7.el8_10 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Advanced Update Support | — | 1.2.10-6.el8_2 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support | — | 1.2.10-6.el8_4 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service | — | 1.2.10-6.el8_4 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions | — | 1.2.10-6.el8_4 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support | — | 1.2.10-6.el8_6 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Telecommunications Update Service | — | 1.2.10-6.el8_6 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Update Services for SAP Solutions | — | 1.2.10-6.el8_6 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Extended Update Support | — | 1.2.10-6.el8_8 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | — | 1.2.22-4.el9_5 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0 Update Services for SAP Solutions | — | 1.2.14-3.el9_0 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Extended Update Support | — | 1.2.14-6.el9_2 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.4 Extended Update Support | — | 1.2.18-6.el9_4 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | — | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- NetworkManager-libreswan Vendor— Affected before 1.2.24 Fixed in 1.2.24 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.7 Advanced Update Support VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1.2.4-4.el7_7 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Extended Lifecycle Support VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1.2.4-4.el7_9 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1.2.10-7.el8_10 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Advanced Update Support VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1.2.10-6.el8_2 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1.2.10-6.el8_4 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1.2.10-6.el8_4 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1.2.10-6.el8_4 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1.2.10-6.el8_6 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Telecommunications Update Service VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1.2.10-6.el8_6 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Update Services for SAP Solutions VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1.2.10-6.el8_6 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Extended Update Support VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1.2.10-6.el8_8 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1.2.22-4.el9_5 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0 Update Services for SAP Solutions VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1.2.14-3.el9_0 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Extended Update Support VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1.2.14-6.el9_2 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.4 Extended Update Support VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1.2.18-6.el9_4 Patch available CNA
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE names CNA · 16
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_aus:7.7::server | 7.7 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_els:7 | 7 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | 8 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_aus:8.2::appstream | 8.2 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_aus:8.4::appstream | 8.4 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_e4s:8.4::appstream | 8.4 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_tus:8.4::appstream | 8.4 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_aus:8.6::appstream | 8.6 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_e4s:8.6::appstream | 8.6 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_tus:8.6::appstream | 8.6 | — | Red Hat |
- cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_aus:7.7::server Versions 7.7 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_els:7 Versions 7 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream Versions 8 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_aus:8.2::appstream Versions 8.2 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_aus:8.4::appstream Versions 8.4 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_e4s:8.4::appstream Versions 8.4 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_tus:8.4::appstream Versions 8.4 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_aus:8.6::appstream Versions 8.6 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_e4s:8.6::appstream Versions 8.6 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_tus:8.6::appstream Versions 8.6 — ·Red Hat
Show 6 more CPE
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus:8.8::appstream | 8.8 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | 9 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_e4s:9.0::appstream | 9.0 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus:9.2::appstream | 9.2 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus:9.4::appstream | 9.4 | — | Red Hat |
| cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:10 | 10 | — | Red Hat |
- cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus:8.8::appstream Versions 8.8 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream Versions 9 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_e4s:9.0::appstream Versions 9.0 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus:9.2::appstream Versions 9.2 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus:9.4::appstream Versions 9.4 — ·Red Hat
- cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:10 Versions 10 — ·Red Hat
Remediation
- Fix · CNA NetworkManager-libreswan Fixed in 1.2.24
Red Hat 11 advisories
- RHSA-2024:9556 Released 2024-11-13 · Red Hat rating ImportantNetworkManager-libreswan security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.9.4) NetworkManager-libreswan-1.2.18-6.el9_4, NetworkManager-libreswan-gnome-1.2.18-6.el9_4
- RHSA-2024:9555 Released 2024-11-13 · Red Hat rating ImportantNetworkManager-libreswan security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) NetworkManager-libreswan-1.2.22-4.el9_5, NetworkManager-libreswan-gnome-1.2.22-4.el9_5
- RHSA-2024:8352 Released 2024-10-23 · Red Hat rating ImportantNetworkManager-libreswan:1.2.14 security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.9.2) NetworkManager-libreswan-1.2.14-6.el9_2, NetworkManager-libreswan-gnome-1.2.14-6.el9_2
Show 8 more Red Hat advisories
- RHSA-2024:8355 Released 2024-10-23 · Red Hat rating ImportantNetworkManager-libreswan security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream AUS (v.8.4) NetworkManager-libreswan-1.2.10-6.el8_4, NetworkManager-libreswan-gnome-1.2.10-6.el8_4
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream E4S (v.8.4) NetworkManager-libreswan-1.2.10-6.el8_4, NetworkManager-libreswan-gnome-1.2.10-6.el8_4
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream TUS (v.8.4) NetworkManager-libreswan-1.2.10-6.el8_4, NetworkManager-libreswan-gnome-1.2.10-6.el8_4
- RHSA-2024:8354 Released 2024-10-23 · Red Hat rating ImportantNetworkManager-libreswan security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.8.8) NetworkManager-libreswan-1.2.10-6.el8_8, NetworkManager-libreswan-gnome-1.2.10-6.el8_8
- RHSA-2024:8353 Released 2024-10-23 · Red Hat rating ImportantNetworkManager-libreswan security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 8) NetworkManager-libreswan-1.2.10-7.el8_10, NetworkManager-libreswan-gnome-1.2.10-7.el8_10
- RHSA-2024:8357 Released 2024-10-23 · Red Hat rating ImportantNetworkManager-libreswan security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7 ELS) NetworkManager-libreswan-1.2.4-4.el7_9, NetworkManager-libreswan-gnome-1.2.4-4.el7_9
- RHSA-2024:8356 Released 2024-10-23 · Red Hat rating ImportantNetworkManager-libreswan security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream AUS (v.8.6) NetworkManager-libreswan-1.2.10-6.el8_6, NetworkManager-libreswan-gnome-1.2.10-6.el8_6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream E4S (v.8.6) NetworkManager-libreswan-1.2.10-6.el8_6, NetworkManager-libreswan-gnome-1.2.10-6.el8_6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream TUS (v.8.6) NetworkManager-libreswan-1.2.10-6.el8_6, NetworkManager-libreswan-gnome-1.2.10-6.el8_6
- RHSA-2024:8358 Released 2024-10-23 · Red Hat rating ImportantNetworkManager-libreswan security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream AUS (v. 8.2) NetworkManager-libreswan-1.2.10-6.el8_2, NetworkManager-libreswan-gnome-1.2.10-6.el8_2
- RHSA-2024:8338 Released 2024-10-22 · Red Hat rating ImportantNetworkManager-libreswan security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server AUS (v. 7.7) NetworkManager-libreswan-1.2.4-4.el7_7, NetworkManager-libreswan-gnome-1.2.4-4.el7_7
- RHSA-2024:8312 Released 2024-10-22 · Red Hat rating ImportantNetworkManager-libreswan security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream E4S (v.9.0) NetworkManager-libreswan-1.2.14-3.el9_0, NetworkManager-libreswan-gnome-1.2.14-3.el9_0
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:8353 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:9555 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream AUS (v. 8.2) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:8358 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream AUS (v.8.4) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:8355 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream AUS (v.8.6) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:8356 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream E4S (v.8.4) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:8355 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream E4S (v.8.6) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:8356 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream E4S (v.9.0) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:8312 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.8.8) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:8354 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.9.2) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:8352 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.9.4) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:9556 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream TUS (v.8.4) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:8355 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream TUS (v.8.6) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:8356 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7 ELS) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:8357 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server AUS (v. 7.7) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:8338 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2024-9050
References
Advisory 11
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Sources
- CVE-2024-9050 · CVE Program
- CVE-2024-9050 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- CVE-2024-9050 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences