CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2016-4989 — Setroubleshoot Project Setroubleshoot security vulnerability

High CVSS 7

setroubleshoot allows local users to bypass an intended container protection mechanism and execute arbitrary commands by (1) triggering an SELinux denial with a crafted file name, which is handled by the _set_tpath function in audit_data.py or via a crafted (2) local_id or (3) analysis_id field in a crafted XML document to the run_fix function in SetroubleshootFixit.py, related to the subprocess.check_output and commands.getstatusoutput functions, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-4445.

Severity
High
CVSS
7 (3.0)
Published
2017-04-11
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
software/application
Weaknesses
CWE-77

Affected products

  • setroubleshoot_project / setroubleshoot
  • redhat / enterprise_linux_desktop / 7.0
  • redhat / enterprise_linux_hpc_node / 7.0
  • redhat / enterprise_linux_server / 7.0
  • redhat / enterprise_linux_workstation / 7.0

Matched remediation archetype

Command, code, expression, and template injection

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Check exposure

  • Trace untrusted values to process execution, interpreters, evaluators, template engines, dynamic imports, and administrative scripting features.
  • Determine whether the affected path is reachable across each trust boundary and which service account or host privilege it inherits.
  • Review configuration for optional execution features, unsafe compatibility modes, and shell invocation.

Remediate safely

  • Replace string-built commands or evaluated code with fixed operations and structured argument APIs that do not invoke a shell.
  • Use strict allowlists for operation identifiers and reject unexpected input before it reaches any interpreter.
  • Update the affected component and add inert regression tests covering metacharacters, encoding variants, and alternate request paths.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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