Re: SA-03:04.sendmail Bin Update

From: Charles M. Richmond (cmrat_private)
Date: Wed Mar 05 2003 - 04:00:22 PST

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    The following exchange covers a method of upgrading the sendmail
    binaries while postponing redoing the CFs. If you have a bunch
    of systems with varying configs then it might be a useful way
    of getting the security fix in place with your old CFs. 
    
    It will also allow you to test the install of the new binaries
    without impacting current incoming email. I found some permissions
    problems related to an incorrectly done smmsp group that would
    have been a real problem if I had done the restart of sendmail
    without doing the checks.
    
    ****************** Names removed ******************
    
    >>Depends on how old. I was able to get it to work with an 8.9.0
    >>sendmail.cf file with no problem. That let me get the binaries
    >>in plce quickly and then play with a new config with extra
    >>features. You will get a warning:
    
    >But was it really working?
    >I know that on at least some of the machines I'll be upgrading, things
    >like DNSBLs are handled much differently than in the latest versions,
    >both in the .mc and in the .cf.
    
    I am using access list for IP, domain, host, and user@, rejection.
    That is working perfectly. I was not using DSNBLs because I prefer
    my own tailoring and prejudices :) So I can verify that many anti
    SPAM features work fine, but I can not verify DSNBL.
    
    The 'test' that I did will work for you also. Do the make and make
    install but do not kill -HUP the sendmail that is running and do
    not restart the sendmail. Now your incoming mail is still being
    handled by the old sendmail but you can test the features of the 
    new sendmail by doing:
    	$ sendmail knownat_private
    	some text
    	^d
    This will attempt to send mail to a blocked address and should fail.
    Also run 'mailq' and 'newalias' and verify the operation. If it works
    then it is safe to 'kill -HUP' or restart sendmail and work out new
    mc/cf files at your leisure. At least you will have the new binaries
    in place and that is critical. 
    
    Of course you could just patch your 8.9.3 binary. The instructions
    are on the sendmail server:
    ftp://ftp.sendmail.org/pub/sendmail/sendmail.8.9.3.security.cr.patch
    
    Charles
    ZX-6R
    
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