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Gentoo Linux Security Advisory                           GLSA 200709-11
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                                            https://security.gentoo.org/
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  Severity: Low
     Title: GDM: Local Denial of Service
      Date: September 18, 2007
      Bugs: #187919
        ID: 200709-11

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Synopsis
=======
GDM can be crashed by a local user, preventing it from managing future
displays.

Background
=========
GDM is the GNOME display manager.

Affected packages
================
    -------------------------------------------------------------------
     Package         /  Vulnerable  /                       Unaffected
    -------------------------------------------------------------------
  1  gnome-base/gdm      < 2.18.4                            >= 2.18.4
                                                            *>= 2.16.7

Description
==========
The result of a g_strsplit() call is incorrectly parsed in the files
daemon/gdm.c, daemon/gdmconfig.c, gui/gdmconfig.c and
gui/gdmflexiserver.c, allowing for a null pointer dereference.

Impact
=====
A local user could send a crafted message to /tmp/.gdm_socket that
would trigger the null pointer dereference and crash GDM, thus
preventing it from managing future displays.

Workaround
=========
Restrict the write permissions on /tmp/.gdm_socket to trusted usersonly after each GDM restart.

Resolution
=========
All GDM users should upgrade to the latest version:

    # emerge --sync
    # emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose "gnome-base/gdm"

References
=========
  [ 1 ] CVE-2007-3381
        http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2007-3381

Availability
===========
This GLSA and any updates to it are available for viewing at
the Gentoo Security Website:

  https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/200709-11

Concerns?
========
Security is a primary focus of Gentoo Linux and ensuring the
confidentiality and security of our users machines is of utmost
importance to us. Any security concerns should be addressed to
security@gentoo.org or alternatively, you may file a bug at
https://bugs.gentoo.org/.

License
======
Copyright 2007 Gentoo Foundation, Inc; referenced text
belongs to its owner(s).

The contents of this document are licensed under the
Creative Commons - Attribution / Share Alike license.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/