CAPEC Definitions

    CAPEC Definitions / CAPEC-40

    CAPEC-40: Manipulating Writeable Terminal Devices

    This attack exploits terminal devices that allow themselves to be written to by other users. The attacker sends command strings to the target terminal device hoping that the target user will hit enter and thereby execute the malicious command with their privileges. The attacker can send the results (such as copying /etc/passwd) to a known directory and collect once the attack has succeeded.

    Severity:Very High
    Possibility:High

    Extended Description

    No Extended Description.

    Mitigations

    Design: Ensure that terminals are only writeable by named owner user and/or administrator

    Design: Enforce principle of least privilege

    Relationships with other CAPECs

    CAPEC-248: Command Injection

    Prerequisites

    User terminals must have a permissive access control such as world writeable that allows normal users to control data on other user's terminals.

    Related Weaknesses

    CWE-77: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')