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CVE-2013-4559

lighttpd before 1.4.33 does not check the return value of the (1) setuid, (2) setgid, or (3)...

7.6 HighFix available

lighttpd before 1.4.33 does not check the return value of the (1) setuid, (2) setgid, or (3) setgroups functions, which might cause lighttpd to run as root if it is restarted and allows remote attackers to gain privileges, as demonstrated by multiple calls to the clone function that cause setuid to fail when the user process limit is reached.

Exploit likelihood

10.7%Up 9.3 points since Feb 4, 2022
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 7.6

lighttpd before 1.4.33 does not check the return value of the (1) setuid, (2) setgid, or (3) setgroups functions, which might cause lighttpd to run as root if it is restarted and allows remote attackers to gain privileges, as demonstrated by multiple calls to the clone function that cause setuid to fail when the user process limit is reached.

Record
CVE-2013-4559
CVSS 2.0
7.6 HighAV:N/AC:H/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Weakness
CWE-264
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

lighttpd before 1.4.33 does not check the return value of the (1) setuid, (2) setgid, or (3) setgroups functions, which might cause lighttpd to run as root if it is restarted and allows remote attackers to gain privileges, as demonstrated by multiple calls to the clone function that cause setuid to fail when the user process limit is reached.

Record
CVE-2013-4559
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2013-4418 No score

lighttpd before 1.4.33 does not check the return value of the (1) setuid, (2) setgid, or (3) setgroups functions, which might cause lighttpd to run as root if it is restarted and allows remote attackers to gain privileges, as demonstrated by multiple calls to the clone function that cause setuid to fail when the user process limit is reached.

Record
EUVD-2013-4418
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-pfcc-94ff-p2cv No score

lighttpd before 1.4.33 does not check the return value of the (1) setuid, (2) setgid, or (3)...

lighttpd before 1.4.33 does not check the return value of the (1) setuid, (2) setgid, or (3) setgroups functions, which might cause lighttpd to run as root if it is restarted and allows remote attackers to gain privileges, as demonstrated by multiple calls to the clone function that cause setuid to fail when the user process limit is reached.

Record
GHSA-pfcc-94ff-p2cv
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV No score

lighttpd before 1.4.33 does not check the return value of the (1) setuid, (2) setgid, or (3) setgroups functions, which might cause lighttpd to run as root if it is restarted and allows remote attackers to gain privileges, as demonstrated by multiple calls to the clone function that cause setuid to fail when the user process limit is reached.

Record
CVE-2013-4559
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2013-4559 No score

lighttpd before 1.4.33 does not check the return value of the (1) setuid, (2) setgid, or (3) setgroups functions, which might cause lighttpd to run as root if it is restarted and allows remote attackers to gain privileges, as demonstrated by multiple calls to the clone function that cause setuid to fail when the user process limit is reached.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2013-4559
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2013-0334 No score

Updated lighttpd packages fix multiple security vulnerbilities

Updated lighttpd packages fix security vulnerabilities:

lighttpd before 1.4.34, when SNI is enabled, configures weak SSL ciphers, which makes it easier for remote attackers to hijack sessions by inserting packets into the client-server data stream or obtain sensitive information by sniffing the network (CVE-2013-4508).

In lighttpd before 1.4.34, if setuid() fails for any reason, for instance if an environment limits the number of processes a user can have and the target uid already is at the limit, lighttpd will run as root. A user who can run CGI scripts could clone() often; in this case a lighttpd restart would end up with lighttpd running as root, and the CGI scripts would run as root too (CVE-2013-4559).

In lighttpd before 1.4.34, if "fam" is enabled and there are directories reachable from configured doc roots and aliases on which FAMMonitorDirectory fails, a remote client could trigger a DoS (CVE-2013-4560).

Record
MGASA-2013-0334
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:10402-1 No score

lighttpd-1.4.37-1.6 on GA media

These are all security issues fixed in the lighttpd-1.4.37-1.6 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.

Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:10402-1
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2013-4559 No score

lighttpd before 1.4.33 does not check the return value of the (1) setuid, (2) setgid, or (3) setgroups functions, which might cause lighttpd to run as root if it is restarted and allows remote attackers to gain privileges, as demonstrated by multiple calls to the clone function that cause setuid to fail when the user process limit is reached.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2013-4559
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
lighttpd
Debian:12
before 1.4.33-1+nmu1
1.4.33-1+nmu1
lighttpd
Debian:13
before 1.4.33-1+nmu1
1.4.33-1+nmu1
lighttpd
Debian:14
before 1.4.33-1+nmu1
1.4.33-1+nmu1
lighttpd
Debian:6.0
From an advisory covering 3 CVEs
before 1.4.28-2+squeeze1.4, plus listed versions
1.4.28-21.4.28-2+squeeze11.4.28-2+squeeze1.11.4.28-2+squeeze1.21.4.28-2+squeeze1.3
1.4.28-2+squeeze1.4
lighttpd
Debian:7
From an advisory covering 3 CVEs
before 1.4.31-4+deb7u1, plus listed versions
1.4.31-4
1.4.31-4+deb7u1
lighttpd
Mageia:2
From an advisory covering 3 CVEs
before 1.4.30-5.3.mga2
1.4.30-5.3.mga2
lighttpd
Mageia:3
From an advisory covering 3 CVEs
before 1.4.32-3.6.mga3
1.4.32-3.6.mga3
lighttpd
openSUSE:Tumbleweed
From an advisory covering 8 CVEs
before 1.4.37-1.6
1.4.37-1.6

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
affected, facts
affected
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2013-4559 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.6) in Lighttpd, published November 13, 2013. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 10.7%, the 95th percentile. Fixed in lighttpd 1.4.33-1+nmu1.

References

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