Published:
31 March 1999
Protect yourself against future threats.
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AUSCERT External Security Bulletin Redistribution
ESB-1999.045 -- Red Hat Linux Bulletin
SECURITY: New XFree86 packages available
1 April 1999
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Red Hat Software, Inc. has released the following advisory concerning a
security vulnerability in the XFree86 packages that ship with Red Hat
Linux. This vulnerability may allow local users to gain unauthorised
write access to directories.
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Security vulnerabilities have been identified in the XFree86 packages that
ship with Red Hat Linux. This security problem can allow local users to get
write access to directories that they are otherwise not able to write to.
Red Hat would like to thank the members of the BUGTRAQ mailing list,
the members of the Linux Security Audit team, and others. All users
of Red Hat Linux are encouraged to upgrade to the new packages
immediately. As always, these packages have been signed with the
Red Hat PGP key.
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:
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X Windows is a large and complex package, so the upgrade procedure is
somewhat more lengthy and involved than for other packages. Please make
sure you carefully follow the instructions pertaining to your particular
release and platform of Red Hat Linux.
Red Hat Linux 5.x:
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In some circumstances, you may be required to add --force and/or --nodeps
to the rpm command line options to insure a proper upgrade. Add these
options if the command line given gives an error.
Intel:
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All updates can be found at ftp://updates.redhat.com/5.2/i386.
1. Upgrade your X server. The package you need is dependent on which video
card you have. Get the server which matches your card.
2. Upgrade your X libraries and base install:
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/5.2/i386/XFree86-libs-3.3.3.1-1.1.i386.rpm
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/5.2/i386/XFree86-3.3.3.1-1.1.i386.rpm
3. Optionally, upgrade the additional X packages, such as fonts, devel,
etc.
Alpha:
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All updates can be found at ftp://updates.redhat.com/5.2/alpha.
1. Upgrade your X server. The package you need is dependent on which video
card you have. Get the server which matches your card.
2. Upgrade your X libraries and base install:
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/5.2/alpha/XFree86-libs-3.3.3.1-1.1.alpha.rpm
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/5.2/alpha/XFree86-3.3.3.1-1.1.alpha.rpm
3. Optionally, upgrade the additional X packages, such as fonts, devel,
etc.
SPARC:
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All updates can be found at ftp://updates.redhat.com/5.2/sparc.
1. Upgrade your X server. The package you need is dependent on which
frame buffer your SPARC has. Get the server which matches your card.
2. Upgrade your X libraries and base install:
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/5.2/sparc/XFree86-libs-3.3.3.1-1.1.sparc.rpm
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/5.2/sparc/XFree86-3.3.3.1-1.1.sparc.rpm
3. Optionally, upgrade the additional X packages, such as fonts, devel,
etc.
4. If a link named /etc/X11/X does not exist, pointing at the proper X
server that you use (for instance, /usr/X11R6/bin/Xsun), create it now.
Red Hat Linux 4.2:
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In some circumstances, you may be required to add --force and/or --nodeps
to the rpm command line options to insure a proper upgrade. Add these
options if the command line given gives an error.
Intel:
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All updates can be found at ftp://updates.redhat.com/4.2/i386.
1. Make sure that you are running RPM 2.5.3 or later before proceeding.
Upgrade as follows:
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/4.2/i386/rpm-2.5.3-4.2.i386.rpm
2. Make sure you have the latest Xconfigurator installed:
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/4.2/i386/Xconfigurator-2.6.1-1.i386.rpm
3. Upgrade your X server. The package you need is dependent on which video
card you have. Get the server which matches your card.
4. Upgrade your X libraries and base install:
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/4.2/i386/XFree86-libs-3.3.3.1-0.1.i386.rpm
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/4.2/i386/XFree86-3.3.3.1-0.1.i386.rpm
5. Optionally, upgrade the additional X packages, such as fonts, devel,
etc.
Alpha:
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All updates can be found at ftp://updates.redhat.com/4.2/alpha.
1. Make sure that you are running RPM 2.5.3 or later before proceeding.
Upgrade as follows:
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/4.2/alpha/rpm-2.5.3-4.2.alpha.rpm
2. Make sure you have the latest Xconfigurator installed:
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/4.2/alpha/Xconfigurator-2.6.1-1.alpha.rpm
3. Upgrade your X server. The package you need is dependent on which video
card you have. Get the server which matches your card.
4. Upgrade your X libraries and base install:
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/4.2/alpha/XFree86-libs-3.3.3.1-0.1.alpha.rpm
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/4.2/alpha/XFree86-3.3.3.1-0.1.alpha.rpm
5. Optionally, upgrade the additional X packages, such as fonts, devel,
etc.
SPARC:
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All updates can be found at ftp://updates.redhat.com/4.2/sparc.
The X environment which shipped with Red Hat 4.2 SPARC was different than
that for other architectures. X was placed in the directory /usr/X11R6.1,
whereas every other architecture expected it to reside under /usr/X11R6.
This errata release corrects the situation. As you upgrade the packages,
YOU WILL SEE ERRORS FROM RPM about missing files, but they can safely be
ignored.
The following instructions will work for an unmodified Red Hat 4.2 SPARC
environment.
1. Make sure that you are running RPM 2.5.3 or later before proceeding.
Upgrade as follows:
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/4.2/sparc/rpm-2.5.3-4.2.sparc.rpm
2. Remove the symbolic link /usr/X11R6:
rm /usr/X11R6
3. Move the directory /usr/X11R6.1 to /usr/X11R6:
mv /usr/X11R6.1 /usr/X11R6
4. Upgrade the server package for the type of SPARC framebuffer you have.
This is system dependent.
5. Upgrade your X libraries and base install:
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/4.2/sparc/XFree86-libs-3.3.3.1-0.1.sparc.rpm
rpm -Uvh ftp://updates.redhat.com/4.2/sparc/XFree86-3.3.3.1-0.1.sparc.rpm
6. Optionally, upgrade the additional X packages, such as fonts, devel,
etc.
7. Make a symbolic link from /usr/X11R6 to /usr/X11R6.1 for backwards
compatibility:
cd /usr; ln -s X11R6 X11R6.1
8. If a link named /etc/X11/X does not exist, pointing at the proper X
server that you use (for instance, /usr/X11R6/bin/Xsun), create it now.
Cristian
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Cristian Gafton -- gafton@redhat.com -- Red Hat Software, Inc.
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UNIX is user friendly. It's just selective about who its friends are.
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This security bulletin is provided as a service to AusCERT's members. As
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