SuSE Security Announcement: kernel (SuSE-SA:2003:034)

From: Sebastian Krahmer (krahmerat_private)
Date: Tue Aug 12 2003 - 09:57:52 PDT

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    ______________________________________________________________________________
    
                            SuSE Security Announcement
    
            Package:                kernel
            Announcement-ID:        SuSE-SA:2003:034
            Date:                   Tue Aug 12 18:15:00 CEST 2003
            Affected products:      7.2, 7.3, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2
                                    SuSE Linux Database Server,
                                    SuSE eMail Server III, 3.1
                                    SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 7, 8
                                    SuSE Linux Firewall on CD/Admin host
                                    SuSE Linux Connectivity Server
                                    SuSE Linux Office Server
                                    SuSE Linux Openexchange Server
                                    SuSE Linux Desktop 1.0
                                    United Linux 1.0
            Vulnerability Type:     local privilege escalation,
                                    remote Denial of Service (DoS)
            Severity (1-10):        7
            SuSE default package:   yes
            Cross References:       CAN-2003-0476
                                    CAN-2003-0501
                                    CAN-2003-0464
    
        Content of this advisory:
            1) security vulnerability resolved: a race condition in the ELF loader,
               a minor information leakage problem in the proc-fs,
               re-binding problem of UDP port 2049 sockets,
               DoS in netfilter and NFSv3 code
            2) pending vulnerabilities, solutions, workarounds:
                - xfstt
                - heartbeat
                - KDE config files
                - several minor bug fixes
            3) standard appendix (further information)
    
    ______________________________________________________________________________
    
    1)  problem description, brief discussion, solution, upgrade information
    
        During the last weeks a couple of security relevant fixes have been
        accumulated for the kernel. These fix local vulnerabilities and
        remote DoS conditions. The list of the fixed vulnerabilities is
        as follows:
    
          - fix for a possible denial of service attack (DoS) in the routing code
          - fix for a possible attack of an unpriviledged user via ioport
          - fix for a re-binding problem of UDP port 2049 (NFS) sockets
          - fix for a kernel panic with pptpd when mss > mtu
          - fix for console redirect bug
          - fix for the execve() file read race vulnerability
          - fix for several race conditions in procfs
          - fix for possible DoS in netfilter code
          - fix for possible DoS in NFSv3 code
      
        Not all kernel-versions are affected by all of these vulnerabilities.
        However, since there is no easy workaround for all of the vulnerabilities,
        we recommend an update of the kernel package.
     
        Please follow the steps in the "SPECIAL INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS" section to
        update your system.
    
        Note: Managing the necessary patches, building and mostly testing
        kernel update packages is an extremely worksome and therefore also
        time-consuming process. SuSE wishes to provide the same quality and
        reliability in update packages as customers are used to from the
        shipped original products. Even though our kernel updates are
        thoroughly tested, the numerous possible hardware configurations for the
        x86 platform give a certain probability for a functional failure of
        parts of the kernel after the update has been performed. Some of the
        possible failures cannot be handled by SuSE by definition. These
        include (and are not limited to) possible problems with NVIDIA chipset
        graphics boards that make use of hardware 3D acceleration.
          SuSE cannot deliver the binary only driver for the NVIDIA graphics
        boards in the kernel RPM. It is known that the NVIDIA hardware acceleration
        will not continue to work after a reboot, resulting in a failure to start
        the X-server. Hardware acceleration support for NVIDIA graphics chipsets on
        SuSE Linux 8.1 and 8.2 will be automatically disabled if the kernel update
        is performed by YOU (Yast Online Update). If you are committing the update
        by hand (necessary for SuSE Linux 8.0 and older), you should either turn
        off hardware acceleration support for your X Server configuration, or you
        may want to link the acceleration driver with binaries directly from
        nvidia's ftp server yourself, using the provided kernel-source RPM package.
    
        The kernel of a Linux system is the most critical component with respect
        to stability, reliability and security. By consequence, an update of that
        component requires some care and full attention to succeed.
    
        SPECIAL INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS:
        ==============================
        The following paragraphs will guide you through the installation
        process in a step-by-step fashion. The character sequence "****"
        marks the beginning of a new paragraph. In some cases, you decide
        if the paragraph is needed for you or not. Please read through all
        of the steps down to the end. All of the commands that need to be
        executed are required to be run as the superuser (root). Each step
        relies on the steps before to complete successfully.
    
    
      **** Step 1: Determine the needed kernel type
    
        Please use the following command to find the kernel type that is
        installed on your system:
    
          rpm -qf /boot/vmlinuz
    
        The following options are possible (disregarding the version and build
        number following the name, separated by the "-" character):
    
          k_deflt   # default kernel, good for most systems.
          k_i386    # kernel for older processors and chipsets
          k_athlon  # kernel made specifically for AMD Athlon(tm) family processors
          k_psmp    # kernel for Pentium-I dual processor systems
          k_smp     # kernel for SMP systems (Pentium-II and above)
    
      **** Step 2: Download the package for your system
    
        Please download the kernel RPM package for your distribution with the
        name starting as indicated by Step 1. The list of all kernel rpm
        packages is appended below. Note: The kernel-source package does not
        contain any binary kernel in bootable form. Instead, it contains the
        sources that the binary kernel rpm packages are made from. It can be
        used by administrators who have decided to build their own kernel.
        Since the kernel-source.rpm is an installable (compiled) package that
        contains sources for the linux kernel, it is not the source RPM for  
        the kernel RPM binary packages.
    
        The kernel RPM binary packages for the distributions can be found at these
        locations under ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/update/ :
    
          7.2/kernel/2.4.18-20030812
          7.3/kernel/2.4.18-20030812
          8.0/kernel/2.4.18-20030812
          8.1/rpm/i586
          8.2/rpm/i586
    
        After downloading the kernel RPM package for your system, you should
        verify the authenticity of the kernel rpm package using the methods as
        listed in section 3) of each SuSE Security Announcement.
    
    
      **** Step 3: Installing your kernel rpm package
    
        Install the rpm package that you have downloaded in Steps 3 or 4 with
        the command
            rpm -Uhv --nodeps --force <K_FILE.RPM>
        where <K_FILE.RPM> is the name of the rpm package that you downloaded.
    
        Warning: After performing this step, your system will likely not be
                 able to boot if the following steps have not been fully
                 applied.
    
    
        If you run SuSE Linux 8.1 and use the freeswan package, you also need
        to update the freeswan rpm as a dependency as offered by YOU (Yast
        Online Update). The package can be downloaded from
        ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/update/8.1/rpm/i586/
    
      **** Step 4: configuring and creating the initrd
    
        The initrd is a ramdisk that is being loaded into the memory of your
        system together with the kernel boot image by the bootloader. The
        kernel uses the content of this ramdisk to execute commands that must
        be run before the kernel can mount its actual root filesystem. It is  
        usually used to initialize scsi drivers or NIC drivers for diskless
        operation.
    
        The variable INITRD_MODULES (set in the files /etc/rc.config up to
        7.3) or /etc/sysconfig/kernel (after and including 8.0)) determines
        which kernel modules will be loaded in the initrd before the kernel
        has mounted its actual root filesystem. The variable should contain
        your scsi adapter (if any) or filesystem driver modules.   
    
        With the installation of the new kernel, the initrd has to be
        re-packed with the update kernel modules. Please run the command
    
          mk_initrd
    
        as root to create a new init rmadisk (initrd) for your system.
    
    
      **** Step 5: bootloader
    
        If you have a 7.x system, you must now run the command
    
          lilo
    
        as root to initialize the lilo bootloader for your system. Then
        proceed to the next step.
    
        If you run a SuSE Linux 8.x or a SLES8 system, there are two options:
        Depending on your software configuration, you have the lilo bootloader
        or the grub bootloader installed and initialized on your system.
        The grub bootloader does not require any further actions to be
        performed after the new kernel images have been moved in place by the
        rpm Update command.
        If you have a lilo bootloader installed and initialized, then the lilo
        program must be run as root. Use the command
    
          grep LOADER_TYPE /etc/sysconfig/bootloader
    
        to find out which boot loader is configured. If it is lilo, then you
        must run the lilo command as root. If grub is listed, then your system
        does not require any bootloader initialization.
    
        Warning: An improperly installed bootloader may render your system
                 unbootable.
    
      **** Step 6: reboot
    
        If all of the steps above have been successfully applied to your
        system, then the new kernel including the kernel modules and the  
        initrd should be ready to boot. The system needs to be rebooted for
        the changes to become active. Please make sure that all steps are  
        complete, then reboot using the command
            shutdown -r now
        or
            init 6
    
        Your system should now shut down and reboot with the new kernel.
    
    
        Download sources for all kernel RPM packages:
        Our maintenance customers are being notified individually. The packages
        are being offered to install from the maintenance web.
    
        Due to the large amount of package-names you will not find the usual
        list of package-names with the corresponding MD5 sums here. However the
        integrity of the packages is ensured and can be verified as described in
        section 3.2.
    
    ______________________________________________________________________________
    
    2)  Pending vulnerabilities in SuSE Distributions and Workarounds:
    
        - xfstt
        The X truetype font-server can be crashed my sending
        malicious packets over the network. It may even be
        possible to execute arbitrary commands with the
        privileges of the xfstt server.
        Update packages are available on our FTP servers now.
    
        - heartbeat
        New heartbeat packages which fix an overflow are available on our
        ftp servers.
    
        - KDE config files
        Due to an mistake some files in /etc/opt/kde3/share/config/
        of SuSe Linux 8.2 are world-writeable. Under certain
        circumstances these files can be used to gain higher
        privileges. Please add an entry for each file in your
        /etc/permissions.local file. Example:
           /etc/opt/kde3/share/config/kmailrc root.root 0644
    
        This bug was reported by nordi <nordiat_private>.
    
        - several minor bug fixes
        There are alot more minor security updates in the queue. YOU (Yast 
        Online Update) will inform you when they appear. Alternatively you 
        may want to monitor the following website:
          http://www.suse.de/de/private/download/updates/index.html
        or:
          http://www.suse.de/en/private/download/updates/index.html
    
    ______________________________________________________________________________
    
    3)  standard appendix: authenticity verification, additional information
    
      - Package authenticity verification:
    
        SuSE update packages are available on many mirror ftp servers all over 
        the world. While this service is being considered valuable and important
        to the free and open source software community, many users wish to be 
        sure about the origin of the package and its content before installing
        the package. There are two verification methods that can be used 
        independently from each other to prove the authenticity of a downloaded
        file or rpm package:
        1) md5sums as provided in the (cryptographically signed) announcement.
        2) using the internal gpg signatures of the rpm package.
    
        1) execute the command 
            md5sum <name-of-the-file.rpm>
           after you downloaded the file from a SuSE ftp server or its mirrors.
           Then, compare the resulting md5sum with the one that is listed in the
           announcement. Since the announcement containing the checksums is 
           cryptographically signed (usually using the key securityat_private), 
           the checksums show proof of the authenticity of the package.
           We disrecommend to subscribe to security lists which cause the 
           email message containing the announcement to be modified so that
           the signature does not match after transport through the mailing 
           list software.
           Downsides: You must be able to verify the authenticity of the
           announcement in the first place. If RPM packages are being rebuilt
           and a new version of a package is published on the ftp server, all 
           md5 sums for the files are useless.
    
        2) rpm package signatures provide an easy way to verify the authenticity
           of an rpm package. Use the command
            rpm -v --checksig <file.rpm>
           to verify the signature of the package, where <file.rpm> is the
           filename of the rpm package that you have downloaded. Of course, 
           package authenticity verification can only target an un-installed rpm
           package file.
           Prerequisites:
            a) gpg is installed
            b) The package is signed using a certain key. The public part of this
               key must be installed by the gpg program in the directory 
               ~/.gnupg/ under the user's home directory who performs the
               signature verification (usually root). You can import the key
               that is used by SuSE in rpm packages for SuSE Linux by saving
               this announcement to a file ("announcement.txt") and
               running the command (do "su -" to be root):
                gpg --batch; gpg < announcement.txt | gpg --import
               SuSE Linux distributions version 7.1 and thereafter install the
               key "buildat_private" upon installation or upgrade, provided that
               the package gpg is installed. The file containing the public key
               is placed at the top-level directory of the first CD (pubring.gpg)
               and at ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/pubring.gpg-build.suse.de .
    
    
      - SuSE runs two security mailing lists to which any interested party may
        subscribe:
    
        suse-securityat_private
            -   general/linux/SuSE security discussion. 
                All SuSE security announcements are sent to this list.
                To subscribe, send an email to 
                    <suse-security-subscribeat_private>.
    
        suse-security-announceat_private
            -   SuSE's announce-only mailing list.
                Only SuSE's security announcements are sent to this list.
                To subscribe, send an email to
                    <suse-security-announce-subscribeat_private>.
    
        For general information or the frequently asked questions (faq) 
        send mail to:
            <suse-security-infoat_private> or
            <suse-security-faqat_private> respectively.
    
        =====================================================================
        SuSE's security contact is <securityat_private> or <securityat_private>.
        The <securityat_private> public key is listed below.
        =====================================================================
    ______________________________________________________________________________
    
        The information in this advisory may be distributed or reproduced,
        provided that the advisory is not modified in any way. In particular,
        it is desired that the clear-text signature shows proof of the
        authenticity of the text.
        SuSE Linux AG makes no warranties of any kind whatsoever with respect
        to the information contained in this security advisory.
    
    Type Bits/KeyID    Date       User ID
    pub  2048R/3D25D3D9 1999-03-06 SuSE Security Team <securityat_private>
    pub  1024D/9C800ACA 2000-10-19 SuSE Package Signing Key <buildat_private>
    
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