Re: Linux distributions and /bin/login overflow

From: Roman Drahtmueller (drahtat_private)
Date: Wed Dec 19 2001 - 21:21:10 PST

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    > Hello,
    
    Hello, too!
    
    [...]
    
    > It seems that while Redhat Linux and Caldera Linux
    > distributions are immune to the recent /bin/login
    > environ overflow, other Linux distributions are not.
    > Several Linux distributions install /bin/login with
    > SysV login options enabled.
    >
    > Slackware 8.0 and lower [tested with 8.0, 4.0, 3.3]
    > has SysV options enabled with /bin/login and is
    > vulnerable.
    >
    > SuSE 6.1 has SysV options enabled with /bin/login and
    > is vulnerable.  I don't have a newer SuSE release, so
    > others will need to verify. It would seem logical that
    > SuSE 8.3 still includes the SysV login options
    > enabled, and is probably vulnerable as well.
    
    
    While it still may be a bad idea for a whole variety of reasons, the sole
    fact that some implementations of /bin/login allow for environment to be
    passed on to the shell after authentification does not mean that the
    program is vulnerable to the problems as discovered with the SysV derived
    implementations.
    
    To be more precise (grep the source for the word "disaster" to find the
    spot): The login programs in SuSE 6.0 and 6.1 gladly pass on environment
    specified as
    
    silence login: draht variable=value
    Password:
    
    up to a maximum number of 32 variables. If the args to the user name do
    not contain a "=" character, the arguments will show up in the environment
    as $L1, $L2, ... where arguments are seperated by whitespace and ",". An
    overflow does not happen, or please prove me wrong.
    
    For the login programs in SuSE distributions before and including 6.1
    there is no such thing as "SysV login options enabled". Environment
    passing is a non-configurable feature.
     The SuSE Linux distributions 6.0 and 6.1 were the last ones without
    PAM'ified authentification schemes. All newer distributions use PAM
    authentification modules that do not pass on environment as specified on
    the user input prompt (user + password prompting happens beyond the scope
    of the login program).
    
    SuSE Linux users who use a distribution before 6.4 are greatly encouraged
    to upgrade to a new release since distributions before SuSE Linux 6.4 have
    been discontinued a long while ago.
    
    
    > Other distributions should be checked as well.  A
    > quick way to check for SysV option capabilities is to
    > type "login", then enter "root testenv1=test" at the
    > login: prompt.  Supply your root passwd, and look for
    > "testenv1" in the output of set.  If it's set, then
    > your copy of /bin/login supports SysV options.....and
    > is probably vulnerable. Follow similar procedure to
    > find overflow possibility/specifics ;)
    >
    >
    > Regards,
    >
    > Anton Rager
    > a_ragerat_private
    
    Thanks,
    Roman.
    -- 
     -                                                                      -
    | Roman Drahtmüller      <drahtat_private> // "You don't need eyes to see, |
      SuSE GmbH - Security           Phone: //             you need vision!"
    | Nürnberg, Germany     +49-911-740530 //           Maxi Jazz, Faithless |
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