Part 8/12:
The result is a full privilege escalation from a regular user to root, enabled purely by filesystem manipulation and timing, rather than complex code execution or memory corruption.
The Significance of These Bugs
Both vulnerabilities highlight a critical aspect of system security: logic and timing flaws. They are not based on memory corruption or traditional buffer overflows but depend instead on manipulating environment states and filesystem behaviors.
Because these bugs are logic-based, they are particularly insidious—they don’t trigger crashes or memory leaks, making detection more challenging. They also show that security isn’t just about patching memory vulnerabilities but involves scrutinizing system architecture, session management, and filesystem handling.