Re: Minor security flaw with pam_xauth

["Steven M. Christey" <coley () linus mitre org>]

On Mon, 16 Aug 2010, Tim Brown wrote:

> I don't think this needs a CVE as I haven't found a useful way to exploit it
> but maybe someone on here will spot something I've missed.  Either way, I
> would have thought it should be fixed.

If the attacker can execute an 'extra' process in violation of 
RLIMIT_NPROC, then that would be technically a violation of the *intended* 
security policy, so it would count for CVE inclusion by itself - even if 
you can't manipulate the issue for code execution.  (Though somehow 
manipulating the xauth authority file may be fruitful to mess around with 
the display as root.)

Thoughts?

- Steve