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Note that this can only be exploited if the program is already using a nontransitive comparision function, which is an egregious bug, and the program is setuid root.

The odds of a setuid root program having this particular, exotic flaw are miniscule. None have been found in the wild.

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> Note that this can only be exploited if the program is already using a nontransitive comparision function, which is an egregious bug

The example they give is "a function cmp(int a, int b) that returns (a - b)", which is definitely a comparison function I've seen before. It's wrong because of overflow, but it's not egregiously wrong.

I think it's more significant than you're implying. I wouldn't be surprised if it were used as a step in an exploit chain somewhere in the wild.

which is definitely a comparison function I've seen before.

In which setuid-root program?

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