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SuSE 6.1-6.4 Vulnerability: Remote Root Access Risk via knfsd Exploit

Due to incorrect string parsing in the code, a remote attacker could gain root priviledges on the machine running the vulnerable rpc.kstatd. This advisory contains other general security information as well.. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- ______________________________________________________________________________ SuSE Security Announcement Package: knfsd, all versions Date: Thursday, August 10th, 2000 Affected SuSE versions: 6.1-6.4 Vulnerability Type: remote root compromise Severity (1-10): 9 SuSE default package: yes Other affected systems: all linux systems using this package Content of this advisory: 1) security vulnerability resolved: knfsd (remote root compromise) problem description, discussion, solution and upgrade information 2) pending vulnerabilities, temporary workarounds (Netscape, suidperl) 3) standard appendix (further information) ______________________________________________________________________________ 1) problem description, brief discussion, solution, upgrade information Due to incorrect string parsing in the code, a remote attacker could gain root priviledges on the machine running the vulnerable rpc.kstatd. The rpc.kstatd daemon contained in the package linuxnfs (SuSE-6.1, 6.2) or knfsd (SuSE-6.3, 6.4) is used by the NFS file locking service to implement lock recovery when the NFS server crashes or reboots. The network status monitor as shipped with SuSE distributions including and following SuSE-6.1 is called `rpc.kstatd' in order not to confuse it with the `rpc.rstatd', the kernel statistics server that comes with SuSE, too (See manual pages for rpc.kstatd and rpc.rstatd). Other distributors might use the term `rpc.statd'. Note: The upcoming SuSE-7.0 distribution is _not_ vulnerable to the problem with rpc.kstatd. SuSE providesupdated packages for the vulnerable software. It is strongly recommended to upgrade to the latest version found on our ftp server as described below. For the kernel-based NFS server to operate properly, it is strongly recommended to upgrade to the latest kernel version as announced in SUSE – Open-Source-Lösungen für Enterprise Server und Cloud | SUSE . Chose one of the following paths to download the package from our ftp server and install the package with the command `rpm -Fhv file.rpm'. The md5sum for each file is in the line below. You can verify the integrity of the rpm files using the command `rpm --checksig --nogpg file.rpm', independently from the md5 signatures below. i386 Intel Platform: SuSE-6.4 (package name is knfsd!): 1a7214f921ebeea7bbcfce8187e7ba65 source rpm: fa4bb28382515648f1c667cbbc019695 SuSE-6.3 (package name is knfsd!): 9425557d97676df139c3b3cfbcbfb686 source rpm: 1d4f69b00eedee3530cbd14ede55b985 SuSE-6.2 (package name is linuxnfs!): c4fbbcbdac7c8640b8ff92643e666ea2 source rpm: 7a006bcc0a8132e8a35e43c087edd493 SuSE-6.1 (package name is linuxnfs!): e4ae4db716613a94d7f5a2acc5f4ee05 source rpm: 879318dd2985fc29d879691044ccc982 AXP Alpha Platform: SuSE-6.4 (package name is knfsd!): 6596ee4207f3f03b570a872af714a263 source rpm: 14d8c202a1d136e7d88ae02e428925a1 SuSE-6.3 (package name is knfsd!): 728896064200e3fe2e303eba3246a295 source rpm: 6e755c651af95c4f8fd05138a373e8f3 SuSE-6.1 (package name is linuxnfs!): 589a11bd867608cb00c93f4b91ba6dce source rpm: 8196c617e9585a4906407bf666055508 PPC Power PC Platform: SuSE-6.4 (package name is knfsd!): 52d64f1104530dac74ab03c508aa2ff4 source rpm: 5cdff95c21484fe01552a0ed80252adc ______________________________________________________________________________ 2) Pending vulnerabilities in SuSE Distributions and Workarounds This section addresses currently known vulnerabilities in Linux/Unix systems that have not been resolved up to the release date of this advisory. - Netscape, versions from 3.0 to 4.73: The latest version of Netscape is currently being tested. SuSE Netscape rpms contain efficient workarounds against some "morbid" properties of Netscape in order to provide stable packages. These additions are being reworked right now. Also, cryprographical software export regulations require us to wait for the permission to redistribute the netscape package from our US-American ftp server. There are currently two known vulnerabilities in Netscape versions from 3.0 to 4.73: a) a buffer overflow in the jpeg image handling code b) a security flaw in Netscape's Java implementation a) has been fixed in Netscape version 4.74. Updated packages from SuSE will follow soon. Temporary fix/workaround: problem a) Turn off automatic image loading and do not click on images to trigger the download. problem b) Turn off Java and JavaScript. - suidperl The /usr/bin/suidperl perl interpreter in the SuSE Distributions has file permissions 755 by default. If the admin of a SuSE Linux system did not change the permission modes and/or the respective entry in /etc/permissions*, the SuSE Linux system is not vulnerable to the attack as published on bugtraq. An advisory announcing updated suidperl packages follows this announcement on the way to the mailing lists. Further details will be discussed therein. Temporary fix/workaround: chmod -s /usr/bin/suidperl # this is thedefault. ______________________________________________________________________________ 3) standard appendix: SuSE runs two security mailing lists to which any interested party may subscribe: suse- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - general/linux/SuSE security discussion. All SuSE security announcements are sent to this list. To subscribe, send an email to . suse-security- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - SuSE's announce-only mailing list. Only SuSE's security annoucements are sent to this list. To subscribe, send an email to . For general information or the frequently asked questions (faq) send mail to: or respectively. ============================================== SuSE's security contact is . ============================================== Regards, Roman Drahtmüller. - -- - - | Roman Drahtmüller // "Caution: Cape does | SuSE GmbH - Security Phone: // not enable user to fly." | Nürnberg, Germany +49-911-740530 // (Batman Costume warning label) | - - ______________________________________________________________________________ The information in this advisory may be distributed or reproduced, provided that the advisory is not modified in any way. SuSE GmbH makes no warranties of any kind whatsoever with respect to the information contained in this security advisory. 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Reveal the critical knfsd weakness affecting SuSE systems, detailing the techniques through which attackers obtain elevated permissions.. knfsd Vulnerability, SuSE Security, Remote Access Flaw. . Severity: Critical. LinuxSecurity.com Team

Aug 10, 2000 •Critical SuSE