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-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- =========================================================================== AUSCERT External Security Bulletin Redistribution ESB-2000.162 -- FreeBSD-SA-00:28.majordomo majordomo is not safe to run on multi-user machines 7 July 2000 =========================================================================== AusCERT Security Bulletin Summary --------------------------------- Product: majordomo Vendor: FreeBSD Ports Collection Operating System: FreeBSD Linux Unix Platform: N/A Impact: Execute Arbitrary Code/Commands Modify Arbitrary files Access Required: Local, Existing User Ref: ESB-2000.118 - --------------------------BEGIN INCLUDED TEXT-------------------- - -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- ============================================================================= FreeBSD-SA-00:28 Security Advisory FreeBSD, Inc. Topic: majordomo is not safe to run on multi-user machines Category: ports Module: majordomo Announced: 2000-07-05 Affects: Ports collection. Corrected: See below Vendor status: Problem documented FreeBSD only: NO I. Background Majordomo is a popular mailing-list manager. II. Problem Description Majordomo contains a number of perl scripts which are executed by a setuid wrapper for providing mailing-list management functionality. However there are numerous weaknesses in these scripts which allow unprivileged users to run arbitrary commands as the majordomo user, as well as obtaining read and write access to the mailing list data. The majordomo port is not installed by default, nor is it "part of FreeBSD" as such: it is part of the FreeBSD ports collection, which contains over 3400 third-party applications in a ready-to-install format. FreeBSD makes no claim about the security of these third-party applications, although an effort is underway to provide a security audit of the most security-critical ports. III. Impact Unprivileged local users can run commands as the 'majordomo' user, including accessing and modifying mailing-list subscription data. If you have not chosen to install the majordomo port/package, then your system is not vulnerable to this problem. IV. Workaround Deinstall the majordomo port/package, if you you have installed it, or limit the permissions of the majordomo/ directory and/or its contents appropriately (see below). V. Solution Since the vendor has chosen not to fix the various security holes in the default installation of majordomo, there is no simple solution. It may be possible to adequately secure the majordomo installation while retaining required functionality, by tightening the permissions on the /usr/local/majordomo directory and/or its contents, but these actions are not taken by the FreeBSD port and are beyond the scope of this advisory. Instead we recommend that majordomo not be used on a system which contains untrusted users, or an alternative mailing-list manager be used. There are several such utilities in the FreeBSD ports collection. - -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBOWGsGFUuHi5z0oilAQFUtgP9Gwb/h0AFJB8RH9LkE3zlmaTfePGGnIgk /SBux8RBiwPnEw4M25mZt26eV6Bd/MIdN8Gnb7q551TD8nrZu0N6//vi5w8uM5/l itRXtnE4FfqERWOTOt25b8N0kCtqESqGMPMyA1m1x+7wFHpq1B69gsQl8MbohUr5 NlLkkEu6AQI= =EkWc - -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- - --------------------------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 may 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 iQCVAwUBOXXT5ih9+71yA2DNAQGCDgP/W3x76StWrFyDueJPBAEkb6cqZRNkVvuE b3HikKKoukWhD2Oys6hvTL1QPpWcNVfwG6FlG5QNPFQ4hxomdOvd51qGy9tMRdsd f0r9S+W5Duxdv4ef8yQqs3lCSNgxScrS2VCO3hzbDhZn2shNyA82wAvqVan1VDVc q7f2jx4a/sk= =ldXw -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----