Headline
Red Hat’s response to OpenPrinting CUPS vulnerabilities: CVE-2024-47076, CVE-2024-47175, CVE-2024-47176 and CVE-2024-47177
TL;DR: All versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) are affected by CVE-2024-47076, CVE-2024-47175, CVE-2024-47176 and CVE-2024-47177, but are not vulnerable in their default configurations.Red Hat has been made aware of a group of vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-47076, CVE-2024-47175, CVE-2024-47176 and CVE-2024-47177) within OpenPrinting CUPS, an open source printing system that is prevalent in most modern Linux distributions, including RHEL. Specifically, CUPS provides tools to manage, discover and share printers for Linux distributions. By chaining this group of vulnerabilities together, an a
TL;DR: All versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) are affected by CVE-2024-47076, CVE-2024-47175, CVE-2024-47176 and CVE-2024-47177, but are not vulnerable in their default configurations.
Red Hat has been made aware of a group of vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-47076, CVE-2024-47175, CVE-2024-47176 and CVE-2024-47177) within OpenPrinting CUPS, an open source printing system that is prevalent in most modern Linux distributions, including RHEL. Specifically, CUPS provides tools to manage, discover and share printers for Linux distributions. By chaining this group of vulnerabilities together, an attacker could potentially achieve remote code execution which could then lead to theft of sensitive data and/or damage to critical production systems.
Red Hat rates these issues with a severity impact of Important. While all versions of RHEL are affected, it is important to note that affected packages are not vulnerable in their default configuration. At this time, there are four CVEs assigned to these vulnerabilities, but the exact number is still being coordinated with the upstream community and the researcher who discovered the problem.
Exploitation
Exploitation of these vulnerabilities is possible through the following chain of events:
- The cups-browsed service has manually been enabled or started
- An attacker has access to a vulnerable server, which :
- Allows unrestricted access, such as the public internet, or
- Gains access to an internal network where local connections are trusted
- Attacker advertises a malicious IPP server, thereby provisioning a malicious printer
- A potential victim attempts to print from the malicious device
- Attacker executes arbitrary code on victim’s machine
Detection
Red Hat customers should use the following command to determine if cups-browsed is running:
$ sudo systemctl status cups-browsed
If the result includes “Active: inactive (dead)” then the exploit chain is halted and the system is not vulnerable
If the result is “running” or “enabled,”and the “BrowseRemoteProtocols” directive contains the value “cups” in the configuration file /etc/cups/cups-browsed.conf, then the system is vulnerable.
Mitigation
Mitigation of these vulnerabilities is as simple as running two commands, especially in any environment where printing is not needed.
To stop a running cups-browsed service, an administrator should use the following command:
$ sudo systemctl stop cups-browsed
The cups-browsed service can also be prevented from starting on reboot with:
$ sudo systemctl disable cups-browsed
Red Hat and the broader Linux community are currently working on patches to address these issues as well.
Acknowledgements
Red Hat would like to thank Simone “EvilSocket” Margaritelli for discovering and reporting these vulnerabilities and Till Kamppeter (OpenPrinting) for additional coordination support.
For more information
Read the Red Hat Security Bulletin on these vulnerabilities
Enter keywords here to search blogs
UI_Icon-Red_Hat-Close-A-Black-RGB
Browse by channel
Automation
The latest on IT automation for tech, teams, and environments
Security
The latest on how we reduce risks across environments and technologies
Edge computing
Updates on the platforms that simplify operations at the edge
Infrastructure
The latest on the world’s leading enterprise Linux platform
Applications
Inside our solutions to the toughest application challenges
Original shows
Entertaining stories from the makers and leaders in enterprise tech
Related news
Red Hat Security Advisory 2024-9470-03 - An update for cups is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9. Issues addressed include a code execution vulnerability.
Ubuntu Security Notice 7042-3 - USN-7042-2 released an improved fix for cups-browsed. This update provides the corresponding update for Ubuntu 24.10. Simone Margaritelli discovered that cups-browsed could be used to create arbitrary printers from outside the local network. In combination with issues in other printing components, a remote attacker could possibly use this issue to connect to a system, created manipulated PPD files, and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used. This update disables support for the legacy CUPS printer discovery protocol.
October Linux Patch Wednesday. There are 248 vulnerabilities in total. Of these, 92 are in the Linux Kernel. 5 vulnerabilities with signs of exploitation in the wild: 🔻 Remote Code Execution – CUPS (CVE-2024-47176) and 4 more CUPS vulnerabilities that can also be used to enhance DoS attacks🔻 Remote Code Execution – Mozilla Firefox (CVE-2024-9680) […]
Ubuntu Security Notice 7043-4 - USN-7043-1 fixed vulnerabilities in cups-filters. This update improves the fix for CVE-2024-47176 by removing support for the legacy CUPS printer discovery protocol entirely. Simone Margaritelli discovered that the cups-filters cups-browsed component could be used to create arbitrary printers from outside the local network. In combination with issues in other printing components, a remote attacker could possibly use this issue to connect to a system, created manipulated PPD files, and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used. This update disables support for the legacy CUPS printer discovery protocol. Simone Margaritelli discovered that cups-filters incorrectly sanitized IPP data when creating PPD files. A remote attacker could possibly use this issue to manipulate PPD files and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used.
Ubuntu Security Notice 7042-2 - USN-7042-1 fixed a vulnerability in cups-browsed. This update improves the fix by removing support for the legacy CUPS printer discovery protocol entirely. Simone Margaritelli discovered that cups-browsed could be used to create arbitrary printers from outside the local network. In combination with issues in other printing components, a remote attacker could possibly use this issue to connect to a system, created manipulated PPD files, and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used. This update disables support for the legacy CUPS printer discovery protocol.
Ubuntu Security Notice 7043-3 - USN-7043-1 fixed a vulnerability in cups-filters. This update provides the corresponding update for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Simone Margaritelli discovered that the cups-filters cups-browsed component could be used to create arbitrary printers from outside the local network. In combination with issues in other printing components, a remote attacker could possibly use this issue to connect to a system, created manipulated PPD files, and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used. This update disables support for the legacy CUPS printer discovery protocol.
Ubuntu Security Notice 7041-3 - USN-7041-1 fixed a vulnerability in CUPS. This update provides the corresponding update for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. Simone Margaritelli discovered that CUPS incorrectly sanitized IPP data when creating PPD files. A remote attacker could possibly use this issue to manipulate PPD files and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used.
Cloudflare has disclosed that it mitigated a record-breaking distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that peaked at 3.8 terabits per second (Tbps) and lasted 65 seconds. The web infrastructure and security company said it fended off "over one hundred hyper-volumetric L3/4 DDoS attacks throughout the month, with many exceeding 2 billion packets per second (Bpps) and 3 terabits per second (
All an attacker needs to exploit flaws in the Common Unix Printing System is a few seconds and less than 1 cent in computing costs.
This article explores the Linux vulnerability discovered by Simone Margaritelli, which, according to cybersecurity companies Uptycs and Akamai,…
Ubuntu Security Notice 7043-2 - USN-7043-1 fixed a vulnerability in cups-filters. This update provides the corresponding update for Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. Simone Margaritelli discovered that the cups-filters cups-browsed component could be used to create arbitrary printers from outside the local network. In combination with issues in other printing components, a remote attacker could possibly use this issue to connect to a system, created manipulated PPD files, and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used. This update disables support for the legacy CUPS printer discovery protocol.
Ubuntu Security Notice 7041-2 - USN-7041-1 fixed a vulnerability in CUPS. This update provides the corresponding update for Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. Simone Margaritelli discovered that CUPS incorrectly sanitized IPP data when creating PPD files. A remote attacker could possibly use this issue to manipulate PPD files and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used.
Debian Linux Security Advisory 5779-1 - Simone Margaritelli reported that cups, the Common UNIX Printing System, does not properly sanitize IPP attributes when creating PPD files, which may result in the execution of arbitrary code.
Debian Linux Security Advisory 5778-1 - Simone Margaritelli reported several vulnerabilities in cups-filters. Missing validation of IPP attributes returned from an IPP server and multiple bugs in the cups-browsed component can result in the execution of arbitrary commands without authentication when a print job is started.
Red Hat Security Advisory 2024-7346-03 - An update for cups-filters is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9. Issues addressed include a code execution vulnerability.
Ubuntu Security Notice 7045-1 - Simone Margaritelli discovered that libppd incorrectly sanitized IPP data when creating PPD files. A remote attacker could possibly use this issue to manipulate PPD files and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used.
Ubuntu Security Notice 7044-1 - Simone Margaritelli discovered that libcupsfilters incorrectly sanitized IPP data when creating PPD files. A remote attacker could possibly use this issue to manipulate PPD files and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used.
Ubuntu Security Notice 7043-1 - Simone Margaritelli discovered that the cups-filters cups-browsed component could be used to create arbitrary printers from outside the local network. In combination with issues in other printing components, a remote attacker could possibly use this issue to connect to a system, created manipulated PPD files, and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used. This update disables support for the legacy CUPS printer discovery protocol. Simone Margaritelli discovered that cups-filters incorrectly sanitized IPP data when creating PPD files. A remote attacker could possibly use this issue to manipulate PPD files and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used.
Ubuntu Security Notice 7043-1 - Simone Margaritelli discovered that the cups-filters cups-browsed component could be used to create arbitrary printers from outside the local network. In combination with issues in other printing components, a remote attacker could possibly use this issue to connect to a system, created manipulated PPD files, and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used. This update disables support for the legacy CUPS printer discovery protocol. Simone Margaritelli discovered that cups-filters incorrectly sanitized IPP data when creating PPD files. A remote attacker could possibly use this issue to manipulate PPD files and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used.
Ubuntu Security Notice 7042-1 - Simone Margaritelli discovered that cups-browsed could be used to create arbitrary printers from outside the local network. In combination with issues in other printing components, a remote attacker could possibly use this issue to connect to a system, created manipulated PPD files, and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used. This update disables support for the legacy CUPS printer discovery protocol.
Ubuntu Security Notice 7041-1 - Simone Margaritelli discovered that CUPS incorrectly sanitized IPP data when creating PPD files. A remote attacker could possibly use this issue to manipulate PPD files and execute arbitrary code when a printer is used.
A new set of security vulnerabilities has been disclosed in the OpenPrinting Common Unix Printing System (CUPS) on Linux systems that could permit remote command execution under certain conditions. "A remote unauthenticated attacker can silently replace existing printers' (or install new ones) IPP urls with a malicious one, resulting in arbitrary command execution (on the computer) when a print
A new set of security vulnerabilities has been disclosed in the OpenPrinting Common Unix Printing System (CUPS) on Linux systems that could permit remote command execution under certain conditions. "A remote unauthenticated attacker can silently replace existing printers' (or install new ones) IPP urls with a malicious one, resulting in arbitrary command execution (on the computer) when a print
A new set of security vulnerabilities has been disclosed in the OpenPrinting Common Unix Printing System (CUPS) on Linux systems that could permit remote command execution under certain conditions. "A remote unauthenticated attacker can silently replace existing printers' (or install new ones) IPP urls with a malicious one, resulting in arbitrary command execution (on the computer) when a print
A new set of security vulnerabilities has been disclosed in the OpenPrinting Common Unix Printing System (CUPS) on Linux systems that could permit remote command execution under certain conditions. "A remote unauthenticated attacker can silently replace existing printers' (or install new ones) IPP urls with a malicious one, resulting in arbitrary command execution (on the computer) when a print