Published:
08 July 1999
Protect yourself against future threats.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- =========================================================================== AUSCERT External Security Bulletin Redistribution ESB-1999.092 -- HEWLETT-PACKARD SECURITY BULLETIN: HPSBUX9907-100 CDE Leaves Current Directory in root PATH 09 July 1999 =========================================================================== Hewlett-Packard has released the following bulletin concerning a vulnerability in CDE running on HP 9000 series 700/800 at hp-ux revision 10.X systems. Root user's PATH is left with 'current directory' in it after logging in using CDE. This vulnerability could allow users to gain unauthorised elevated privileges. - --------------------------BEGIN INCLUDED TEXT-------------------- Document ID: HPSBUX9907-100 Date Loaded: 19990707 Title: CDE Leaves Current Directory in root PATH - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY SECURITY BULLETIN: #00100, 07 July 1999 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in the following Security Bulletin should be acted upon as soon as possible. Hewlett-Packard Company will not be liable for any consequences to any customer resulting from customer's failure to fully implement instructions in this Security Bulletin as soon as possible. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- PROBLEM: The current directory is in the root user's PATH after logging in using CDE. PLATFORM: HP 9000 series 700/800 at hp-ux revision 10.X DAMAGE: Increase in privledges. SOLUTION: Modify /usr/dt/bin/Xsession until a patch is available. AVAILABILITY: This advisory will be updated when patches are available. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. A. Background - The PATH environemnt variable is constructed from several sources including dtsearchpath and scripts in /etc/dt/config/Xsession.d/ and /usr/dt/config/Xsession.d/. The resulting PATH contains the string "::" which will be interpreted as the current directory. The root user should not have the current directory in the PATH. B. Fixing the problem - Since the PATH environment variable can be affected by dtsearchpath and several scripts, the recommended solution is to clean up the root user's PATH after is has been created. In /usr/dt/bin/Xsession just before this: # ########################################################################### # # Startup section. Add this: ###################### Clean up $PATH for root ########################## if [ "$USER" = "root" ] then Log "Clean up PATH for root user" Log "Old PATH = $PATH" PATH=`echo $PATH | awk ' { # Remove elements from PATH that are # (a) "." # (b) "" # (c) blank # gsub (" ",":", $0) # Substitite ":" for each blank n = split ($0, path, ":") # Split into elements with ":" as delimiter first = 1 # To suppress leading ":" in new PATH for (i=1; i<=n; i++) { len = length(path[i]) dot = index(path[i], ".") dot_only = 0 if ((len == 1) && (dot==1)) { dot_only = 1 } # print element if it is not "" and not "." if (!(len==0) && !(dot_only==1)) { if(first != 1) { printf (":") # if not first element, print ":" in front } printf ("%s",path[i]) first = 0 } } } END { printf (" ") }'` Log "New PATH = $PATH" fi ###################### End - Clean up $PATH for root #################### C. To subscribe to automatically receive future NEW HP Security Bulletins from the HP Electronic Support Center via electronic mail, do the following: Use your browser to get to the HP Electronic Support Center page at: http://us-support.external.hp.com (for US, Canada, Asia-Pacific, & Latin-America) http://europe-support.external.hp.com (for Europe) Login with your user ID and password (or register for one). Remember to save the User ID assigned to you, and your password. Once you are in the Main Menu: To -subscribe- to future HP Security Bulletins, click on "Support Information Digests". To -review- bulletins already released from the main Menu, click on the "Search Technical Knowledge Database." Near the bottom of the next page, click on "Browse the HP Security Bulletin Archive". Once in the archive there is another link to our current Security Patch Matrix. Updated daily, this matrix categorizes security patches by platform/OS release, and by bulletin topic. The security patch matrix is also available via anonymous ftp: us-ffs.external.hp.com ~ftp/export/patches/hp-ux_patch_matrix D. To report new security vulnerabilities, send email to security-alert@hp.com Please encrypt any exploit information using the security-alert PGP key, available from your local key server, or by sending a message with a -subject- (not body) of 'get key' (no quotes) to security-alert@hp.com. Permission is granted for copying and circulating this Bulletin to Hewlett-Packard (HP) customers (or the Internet community) for the purpose of alerting them to problems, if and only if, the Bulletin is not edited or changed in any way, is attributed to HP, and provided such reproduction and/or distribution is performed for non-commercial purposes. Any other use of this information is prohibited. HP is not liable for any misuse of this information by any third party. ________________________________________________________________________ - -----End of Document ID: HPSBUX9907-100-------------------------------------- - --------------------------END INCLUDED TEXT-------------------- This security bulletin is provided as a service to AusCERT's members. As AusCERT did not write the document quoted above, AusCERT has had no control over its content. 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 updates to the original are made. If downloading at a later date, it is recommended that the bulletin is retrieved directly from the original authors to ensure that the information is still current. Contact information for the authors of the original document is included in the Security Bulletin above. 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 Facsimile: (07) 3365 7031 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. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.3i Charset: noconv Comment: ftp://ftp.auscert.org.au/pub/auscert/AUSCERT_PGP.key iQCVAwUBN8QtdCh9+71yA2DNAQHYZwP6AierJwaPvlx+upwtkcVEai1r6CajnwQQ EtLOGoq8JVKuS3bqzZ7pk6IPYG/yYONs2dYqA/Tix7BlN0zPEZk2DeBnygYtqkE/ zCoruoh6b5xelYqsBNCGziHZa4SVbaH97RiBcWJXcyHlxR4n15uDE/mKldCTl0qw kkRCuxmHcO8= =WANw -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----