Linux Advisory Watch: February 11th 2005 - The Community's Center for Security


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Linux Advisory Watch: February 11th 2005

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Source: LinuxSecurity.com Contributors - Posted by Benjamin D. Thomas

This week, advisories were released for python, squid, php, emacs, postgres, evolution, mailman, hztty, hwbrowser, cups, hotplug, xpdf, kdegraphics, gallery, perl, and squirrelmail. The distributors include Debian, Fedora, Gentoo, Mandrake, Red Hat, and SuSE.

Internet Productivity Suite: Open Source Security - Trust Internet Productivity Suite's open source architecture to give you the best security and productivity applications available. Collaborating with thousands of developers, Guardian Digital security engineers implement the most technologically advanced ideas and methods into their design. Click to find out more!

Are Your Servers Secure?
By Blessen Cherian

In a word, No. No machine connected to the internet is 100% secure. This doesn't mean that you are helpless. You can take measures to avoid hacks, but you cannot avoid them completely. This is like a house — when the windows and doors are open then the probability of a thief coming in is high, but if the doors and windows are closed and locked the probability of being robbed is less, but still not nil.

What is Information Security?

For our purposes, Information Security means the methods we use to protect sensitive data from unauthorized users.

Why do we need Information Security?

The entire world is rapidly becoming IT enabled. Wherever you look, computer technology has revolutionized the way things operate. Some examples are airports, seaports, telecommunication industries, and TV broadcasting, all of which are thriving as a result of the use of IT. "IT is everywhere."

A lot of sensitive information passes through the Internet, such as credit card data, mission critical server passwords, and important files. There is always a chance of some one viewing and/or modifying the data while it is in transmission. There are countless horror stories of what happens when an outsider gets someone's credit card or financial information. He or she can use it in any way they like and could even destroy you and your business by taking or destroying all your assets. As we all know "An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure," so to avoid such critical situations, it is advisable to have a good security policy and security implementation.

Read complete feature story:
http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118211/49/

LinuxSecurity.com Feature Extras:

Getting to Know Linux Security: File Permissions - Welcome to the first tutorial in the 'Getting to Know Linux Security' series. The topic explored is Linux file permissions. It offers an easy to follow explanation of how to read permissions, and how to set them using chmod. This guide is intended for users new to Linux security, therefore very simple. If the feedback is good, I'll consider creating more complex guides for advanced users. Please let us know what you think and how these can be improved.

The Tao of Network Security Monitoring: Beyond Intrusion Detection - To be honest, this was one of the best books that I've read on network security. Others books often dive so deeply into technical discussions, they fail to provide any relevance to network engineers/administrators working in a corporate environment. Budgets, deadlines, and flexibility are issues that we must all address. The Tao of Network Security Monitoring is presented in such a way that all of these are still relevant.

Encrypting Shell Scripts - Do you have scripts that contain sensitive information like passwords and you pretty much depend on file permissions to keep it secure? If so, then that type of security is good provided you keep your system secure and some user doesn't have a "ps -ef" loop running in an attempt to capture that sensitive info (though some applications mask passwords in "ps" output).

Bulletproof Virus Protection - Protect your network from costly security breaches with Guardian Digital’s multi-faceted security applications. More then just an email firewall, on demand and scheduled scanning detects and disinfects viruses found on the network. Click to find out more!

Take advantage of our Linux Security discussion list! This mailing list is for general security-related questions and comments. To subscribe send an e-mail to security-discuss-request@linuxsecurity.com with "subscribe" as the subject.

Thank you for reading the LinuxSecurity.com weekly security newsletter. The purpose of this document is to provide our readers with a quick summary of each week's most relevant Linux security headline.

	Debian
	Debian: New Python2.2 packages fix unauthorised XML-RPC internals access
	4th, February, 2005 For the stable distribution (woody) this problem has been fixed in version 2.2.1-4.7. No other version of Python in woody is affected. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118182

	Debian: New squid packages fix several vulnerabilities
	4th, February, 2005 LDAP is very forgiving about spaces in search filters and this could be abused to log in using several variants of the login name, possibly bypassing explicit access controls or confusing accounting. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118184

	Debian: New php3 packages fix several vulnerabilities
	7th, February, 2005 Updated packages. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118192

	Debian: New emacs20 packages fix arbitrary code execution
	8th, February, 2005 Updated package. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118207

	Debian: New PostgreSQL packages fix arbitrary library loading
	4th, February, 2005 Upgrade http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118186

	Debian: New xemacs21 packages fix arbitrary code execution
	8th, February, 2005 Updated xemacs package. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118210

	Debian: New xview packages fix potential arbitrary code execution
	9th, February, 2005 Updated Package http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118222

	Debian: New evolution packages fix arbitrary code execution as root
	10th, February, 2005 Max Vozeler discovered an integer overflow in a helper application inside of Evolution, a free grouware suite. A local attacker could cause the setuid root helper to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118234

	Debian: New mailman packages fix several vulnerabilities
	10th, February, 2005 Updated http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118235

	Debian: New hztty packages fix local utmp exploit
	10th, February, 2005 Updated package http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118245

	Fedora
	Fedora Core 3 Update: system-config-printer-0.6.116.1.1-1
	4th, February, 2005 Bug-fix update. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118187

	Fedora Core 3 Update: hwbrowser-0.19-0.fc3.2
	4th, February, 2005 Upgrade http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118188

	Fedora Core 3 Update: python-2.3.4-13.1
	4th, February, 2005 n object traversal bug was found in the Python SimpleXMLRPCServer. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118190

	Fedora Core 3 Update: postgresql-7.4.7-1.FC3.2
	7th, February, 2005 Updated package. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118202

	Fedora Core 2 Update: postgresql-7.4.7-1.FC2.2
	7th, February, 2005 Updated package. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118203

	Fedora Core 2 Update: cups-1.1.20-11.11
	8th, February, 2005 A problem with PDF handling was discovered by Chris Evans, and has been fixed. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (www.mitre.org) has assigned the name CAN-2004-0888 to this issue. FEDORA-2004-337 attempted to correct this but the patch was incomplete. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118212

	Fedora Core 3 Update: cups-1.1.22-0.rc1.8.5
	8th, February, 2005 A problem with PDF handling was discovered by Chris Evans, and has been fixed. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (www.mitre.org) has assigned the name CAN-2004-0888 to this issue. FEDORA-2004-337 attempted to correct this but the patch was incomplete. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118213

	Fedora Core 2 Update: hotplug-2004_04_01-1.1
	8th, February, 2005 This update fixes updfstab in the presence of multiple USB plug/unplug events. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118214

	Fedora Core 3 Update: emacs-21.3-21.FC3
	8th, February, 2005 This update fixes the CAN-2005-0100 movemail vulnerability and backports the latest bug fixes. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118219

	Fedora Core 2 Update: xpdf-3.00-3.8
	9th, February, 2005 Updated XPDF http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118223

	Fedora Core 3 Update: xpdf-3.00-10.4
	9th, February, 2005 Updated XPDF http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118224

	Fedora Core 3 Update: kdegraphics-3.3.1-2.4
	9th, February, 2005 Updated KDEGraphics http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118225

	Fedora Core 2 Update: kdegraphics-3.2.2-1.4
	9th, February, 2005 Updated kdegraphics http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118226

	Fedora Core 2 Update: gpdf-2.8.2-4.1
	9th, February, 2005 Updated http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118230

	Fedora Core 3 Update: gpdf-2.8.2-4.2
	9th, February, 2005 Updated http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118231

	Fedora Core 3 Update: mailman-2.1.5-30.fc3
	10th, February, 2005 There is a critical security flaw in Mailman 2.1.5 which will allow attackers to read arbitrary files. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118243

	Fedora Core 2 Update: mailman-2.1.5-8.fc2
	10th, February, 2005 There is a critical security flaw in Mailman 2.1.5 which will allow attackers to read arbitrary files. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118244

	Fedora Core 2 Update: mod_python-3.1.3-1.fc2.2
	10th, February, 2005 Graham Dumpleton discovered a flaw affecting the publisher handler of mod_python, used to make objects inside modules callable via URL. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118252

	Fedora Core 3 Update: mod_python-3.1.3-5.2
	10th, February, 2005 Graham Dumpleton discovered a flaw affecting the publisher handler of mod_python, used to make objects inside modules callable via URL. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118253

	Gentoo
	Gentoo: pdftohtml Vulnerabilities in included Xpdf
	9th, February, 2005 pdftohtml includes vulnerable Xpdf code to handle PDF files, making it vulnerable to execution of arbitrary code upon converting a malicious PDF file. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118221

	Gentoo: LessTif Multiple vulnerabilities in libXpm
	6th, February, 2005 Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in libXpm, which is included in LessTif, that can potentially lead to remote code execution. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118191

	Gentoo: PostgreSQL Local privilege escalation
	7th, February, 2005 The PostgreSQL server can be tricked by a local attacker to execute arbitrary code. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118199

	Gentoo: OpenMotif Multiple vulnerabilities in libXpm
	7th, February, 2005 Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in libXpm, which is included in OpenMotif, that can potentially lead to remote code execution. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118193

	Gentoo: Python Arbitrary code execution through SimpleXMLRPCServer
	8th, February, 2005 Python-based XML-RPC servers may be vulnerable to remote execution of arbitrary code. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118216

	Gentoo: Python Arbitrary code execution through SimpleXMLRPCServer
	10th, February, 2005 Python-based XML-RPC servers may be vulnerable to remote execution of arbitrary code. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118240

	Gentoo: Mailman Directory traversal vulnerability
	10th, February, 2005 Mailman fails to properly sanitize input, leading to information disclosure. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118242

	Gentoo: Gallery Cross-site scripting vulnerability
	10th, February, 2005 The cross-site scripting vulnerability that Gallery 1.4.4-pl5 was intended to fix, did not actually resolve the issue. The Gallery Development Team have released version 1.4.4-pl6 to properly solve this problem. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118251

	Mandrake: Updated perl-DBI packages
	8th, February, 2005 Javier Fernandez-Sanguino Pena disovered the perl5 DBI library created a temporary PID file in an insecure manner, which could be exploited by a malicious user to overwrite arbitrary files owned by the user executing the parts of the library. The updated packages have been patched to prevent these problems. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118217

	Mandrake
	Mandrake: Updated perl packages fix
	8th, February, 2005 Updated perl package. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118218

	Red Hat
	RedHat: Updated Perl packages fix security issues
	7th, February, 2005 Updated Perl packages that fix several security issues are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118195

	RedHat: Updated mailman packages fix security
	10th, February, 2005 Updated mailman packages that correct a mailman security issue are now available. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118239

	RedHat: Updated kdelibs and kdebase packages correct
	10th, February, 2005 Updated kdelib and kdebase packages that resolve several security issues are now available. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118246

	RedHat: Updated mod_python package fixes security issue
	10th, February, 2005 An Updated mod_python package that fixes a security issue in the publisher handler is now available. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118247

	RedHat: Updated emacs packages fix security issue
	10th, February, 2005 Updated Emacs packages that fix a string format issue are now available. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118248

	RedHat: Updated xemacs packages fix security issue
	10th, February, 2005 Updated XEmacs packages that fix a string format issue are now available. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118249

	RedHat: Updated Squirrelmail package fixes security
	10th, February, 2005 An updated Squirrelmail package that fixes several security issues is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118250

	SuSE
	SuSE: kernel bugfixes and SP1 merge
	4th, February, 2005 Two weeks ago we released the Service Pack 1 for our SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 product. Due to the strict code freeze we were not able to merge all the security fixes from the last kernel update on Jan23rd (SUSE-SA:2005:003) into this kernel. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118185

	SuSE: squid (SUSE-SA:2005:006)
	10th, February, 2005 The last two squid updates from February the 1st and 10th fix several vulnerabilities. The impact of them range from remote denial-of-service over cache poisoning to possible remote command execution. http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/118241