Race Condition in SGI’s IRIX 5.x and 6.x Operating System
SGI's IRIX 5.x and 6.x operating system include a utility called /usr/lib/netaddpr. This program can be used by privledged users to add network printing devices to the system. A race condition exists in this program that could allow any 'privledged' user to obtain root access. The netaddpr program is shipped setuid root. As part of its execution, it creates a file in /var/tmp with the file template printersXXXXXX. Because the creation of the file and the actual opening of the file are independant events, there exists a window, during which time an attacker can replace the file with a symbolic link. By making this link point to, for instance, /.rhosts, an attacker can elevate their privledges to that of root.