Re: Linux vsyslog() overflow

From: Dann Lunsford (dannat_private)
Date: Mon Dec 22 1997 - 08:59:42 PST

  • Next message: Derek Reynolds: "(no subject)"

    In <199712210343.AAA02111at_private>, on 12/21/97
       at 12:43 AM, Solar Designer <solarat_private> said:
    >The buffer overflow is in vsyslog(), by the ident string previously set
    >with openlog(). It is exploitable via some versions of /bin/su (for
    >example, the version that comes with Slackware 3.1), and possibly some
    
    As far as I can tell, su has been fixed in Slackware 3.4.
    
    >other privileged processes that use user-supplied data in ident for
    >openlog() -- could even be a daemon setting the ident to something like
    >"daemon: username" (I don't know of any such examples though).
    
    
    
    >I have verified this is exploitable in libc 5.4.23 and RedHat's 5.3.12-18
    >that comes with RH 4.2, but is fixed in 5.4.38. It can't be exploited via
    >/bin/su on standard RedHat setup though.
    
    >Actually, the behavior of Slackware's /bin/su is quite stupid anyway:
    
    >sunny:/tmp$ ln -s /bin/su kernel
    >sunny:/tmp$ export PATH=.:$PATH
    >sunny:/tmp$ kernel
    >Password:
    >sunny:/tmp# tail -1 /var/log/messages
    >Dec 20 23:32:33 sunny kernel: root on /dev/ttyp1
    
    Again, can't duplicate this under Slackware 3.4.
    
    >No real security hole here, but this shows it was a stupid thing to use
    >argv[0] for openlog().
    
    Gotta agree here.
    
    <snip>
    >Since you should fix the vulnerability regardless if it's exploitable via
    >your version of /bin/su or not, here's a tiny program for checking if
    >your libc is vulnerable. If this segfaults, you're vulnerable.
    
    >--- syslog-check.c ---
    <snip>
    
    Under Slackware 3.4, libc 5.4.33, this code causes
    <BUFFER OVERUN ATTEMPT>: message
    to be logged to syslog.
    
    
    --
    Dann Lunsford      * The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil *
    dannat_private   * is that men of good will do nothing.  --  Cicero *
    Hiroshima 45 -- Chernobyl 86 -- Windows 95
    



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