Netscape Navigator Security Vulnerabilities

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

===========================================================================
              AUSCERT External Security Bulletin Redistribution
                                      
                                      
     ESB-98.047 -- Silicon Graphics Inc. Security Advisory 19980303-01-P
                 Netscape Navigator Security Vulnerabilities
                                27 March 1998

===========================================================================

Silicon Graphics Inc. has released the following advisory concerning some
vulnerabilities in the Netscape Navigator program.  These vulnerabilities
may allow malicious web servers to obtain unauthorized access to cookie
and form submission information.

The following security bulletin is provided as a service to AUSCERT's
members.  As AUSCERT did not write this document, AUSCERT has had no
control over its content.  As such, the decision to use any or all of this
information is the responsibility of each user or organisation, and should
be done so in accordance with site policies and procedures.

NOTE: This is only the original release of the security bulletin.  It will
not be updated when the original bulletin is.  If downloading at a later
date, it is recommended that the bulletin is retrieved from the original
authors to ensure that the information is still current.

Contact information for SGI is included in the Security Bulletin below.
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact them
directly.

Previous advisories and external security bulletins can be retrieved from:

        http://www.auscert.org.au/Information/advisories.html

If you believe that your system has been compromised, contact AUSCERT or your
representative in FIRST (Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams).

Internet Email: auscert@auscert.org.au
Telephone:      (07) 3365 4417 (International: +61 7 3365 4417)
                AUSCERT personnel answer during Queensland business hours
                which are GMT+10:00 (AEST).
                On call after hours for emergencies.
Facsimile:      (07) 3365 7031


- --------------------------BEGIN INCLUDED TEXT--------------------

- -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

______________________________________________________________________________
                Silicon Graphics Inc. Security Advisory

        Title:   Netscape Navigator Security Vulnerabilities
        Number:  19980303-01-P
        Date:    March 26, 1998
______________________________________________________________________________

Silicon Graphics provides this information freely to the SGI user community
for its consideration, interpretation, implementation and use.   Silicon
Graphics recommends that this information be acted upon as soon as possible.

Silicon Graphics provides the information in this Security Advisory on
an "AS-IS" basis only, and disclaims all warranties with respect thereto,
express, implied or otherwise, including, without limitation, any warranty
of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.  In no event shall
Silicon Graphics be liable for any loss of profits, loss of business, loss
of data or for any indirect, special, exemplary, incidental or consequential
damages of any kind arising from your use of, failure to use or improper
use of any of the instructions or information in this Security Advisory.
______________________________________________________________________________

- - -----------------------
- - --- Issue Specifics ---
- - -----------------------

Netscape Navigator is a web browser program for accessing the World
Wide Web (WWW).  During regular use, Netscape Navigator makes use of
record keeping mechanisms known as cookies and submission forms.

Several privacy vulnerabilities ("Tracker Bug" and "Bell Labs Privacy
Bug") have been discovered in the Netscape Navigator program which allow
malicious web servers to obtain unauthorized access to cookie and form
submission information.

Silicon Graphics Inc. has investigated the issue and recommends the
following steps for neutralizing the exposure.  It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
that these measures be implemented on ALL vulnerable SGI systems.


- - --------------
- - --- Impact ---
- - --------------

Netscape Navigator is installed by default on IRIX 6.2+ operating systems,
during the installation of IRIX Application CD and Desktop Special Edition
(DSE) CD or web product software bundles like the WebFORCE CDs.

The exploit requires a user to browse a malicious web server.

This vulnerability has been publically discussed and more information
can be found on Netscape's Security Note Web Page:

http://home.netscape.com/assist/security/resources/notes.html

and on Netscape's Security Home Page:

http://home.netscape.com/assist/security/index.html


- - ----------------
- - --- Solution ---
- - ----------------

The solution to this issue is to install or upgrade to version 3.04
or later of the Netscape Navigator program.

To see which version of Netscape you have currently installed, run
netscape and in the 'Help' menu choose 'About Netscape.'

Silicon Graphics provides a customized Netscape Navigator 3.04
subsystem for IRIX 5.3, 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4 and it can be found at the
following URL:

http://www.sgi.com/Products/Evaluation/

Generic, unsupported versions can be found at Netscape's Netcenter
Web Site:

http://home.netscape.com/download/


- - ------------------------
- - --- Acknowledgments ---
- - ------------------------

Silicon Graphics wishes to thank Netscape, the CERT Coordination Center,
and the Internet Community at large for their assistance in this issue.


- - -----------------------------------------------------------
- - --- Silicon Graphics Inc. Security Information/Contacts ---
- - -----------------------------------------------------------

If there are questions about this document, email can be sent to
cse-security-alert@sgi.com.

                      ------oOo------

Silicon Graphics provides security information and patches for
use by the entire SGI community.  This information is freely
available to any person needing the information and is available
via anonymous FTP and the Web.

The primary SGI anonymous FTP site for security information and patches
is sgigate.sgi.com (204.94.209.1).  Security information and patches
are located under the directories ~ftp/security and ~ftp/patches,
respectively. The Silicon Graphics Security Headquarters Web page is
accessible at the URL http://www.sgi.com/Support/security/security.html.

For issues with the patches on the FTP sites, email can be sent to
cse-security-alert@sgi.com.

For assistance obtaining or working with security patches, please
contact your SGI support provider.

                      ------oOo------

Silicon Graphics provides a free security mailing list service
called wiretap and encourages interested parties to self-subscribe
to receive (via email) all SGI Security Advisories when they are
released. Subscribing to the mailing list can be done via the Web
(http://www.sgi.com/Support/security/wiretap.html) or by sending email
to SGI as outlined below.

% mail wiretap-request@sgi.com
subscribe wiretap <YourEmailAddress>
end
^d

In the example above, <YourEmailAddress> is the email address that you
wish the mailing list information sent to.  The word end must be on a
separate line to indicate the end of the body of the message. The
control-d (^d) is used to indicate to the mail program that you are
finished composing the mail message.


                      ------oOo------

Silicon Graphics provides a comprehensive customer World Wide Web site.
This site is located at http://www.sgi.com/Support/security/security.html.

                      ------oOo------

For reporting *NEW* SGI security issues, email can be sent to
security-alert@sgi.com or contact your SGI support provider.  A
support contract is not required for submitting a security report.

______________________________________________________________________________
  This information is provided freely to all interested parties and may
  be redistributed provided that it is not altered in any way, Silicon
  Graphics is appropriately credited and the document retains and
  includes its valid PGP signature.


- -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.6.2

iQCVAwUBNRrSVbQ4cFApAP75AQE14wP/b+rU6GWWTcO8ik1bfrjXacHwQ9LfJMwi
mi5CX7sZt3IFuFlmrrfYwX2o1iGz+lI4t099Fhfq+JkoVo8JitItm35DzC05pnbw
OkTFyhpAVvUkRWzvktAAGS2vIThMJG2zgY62QAp8aJW63Svnn5zEnSGLlKjdPEDm
5LrwOBAL4wo=
=3Z/C
- -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

- --------------------------END INCLUDED TEXT--------------------


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.6.3i
Charset: noconv
Comment: ftp://ftp.auscert.org.au/pub/auscert/AUSCERT_PGP.key

iQCVAwUBNSjfYSh9+71yA2DNAQGOxgP/Yog9De22YguDs9gr+5gc2u2agprZ4FJE
sfeTKce8n1vVNgumDV0d4SpTfHMXT5JVVS+tP22opLKblM3EtDvX7XOVkpN35GpV
+sbKcZTGPQNEGYJpkTXa6T825eE5g7AzCfCtOwsF7Nw/VwSnj6aDHoUY0HlBZBYO
lbTFqUkLU6c=
=1mBE
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----