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-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- =========================================================================== AUSCERT External Security Bulletin Redistribution ESB-2000.334 -- FreeBSD-SA-00:65 xfce allows local X session compromise 9 November 2000 =========================================================================== AusCERT Security Bulletin Summary --------------------------------- Product: xfce Vendor: FreeBSD Ports Collection Operating System: FreeBSD Unix Impact: Reduced Security Access Required: Local - --------------------------BEGIN INCLUDED TEXT-------------------- - -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- ============================================================================= FreeBSD-SA-00:65 Security Advisory FreeBSD, Inc. Topic: xfce allows local X session compromise Category: ports Module: xfce Announced: 2000-11-06 Credits: Nicholas Brawn <nickbrawn@ONETEL.COM> Affects: Ports collection prior to the correction date. Corrected: 2000-11-01 Vendor status: Updated version released FreeBSD only: NO I. Background xfce is a window manager/desktop environment for the X Windows system. II. Problem Description Versions of xfce prior to 3.52 contain a startup script which incorrectly allows access to the X display to all other users on the local system. Such users are able to monitor and control the contents of the display window as well as monitoring input from keyboard and mouse devices. For example, this allows them to monitor passphrases typed into a terminal window, among other possibilities. The xfce 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 4100 third-party applications in a ready-to-install format. The ports collections shipped with FreeBSD 3.5.1 and 4.1.1 are vulnerable to this problem since it was discovered after the releases, but it was corrected prior to the release of FreeBSD 4.2. 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 Local users can monitor and control the contents of the X display running xfce, as well as input devices such as mice and keyboards. IV. Workaround Deinstall the xfce port/package, if you you have installed it, or remove the lines containing 'xhost +$HOSTNAME' in the following files: /usr/X11R6/etc/xfce/xinitrc /usr/X11R6/etc/xfce/xinitrc.mwm V. Solution One of the following: 1) Upgrade your entire ports collection and rebuild the xfce port. 2) Deinstall the old package and install a new package dated after the correction date, obtained from the following directories: ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-3-stable/x11-wm/xfce-3.12.tgz ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-4-stable/x11-wm/xfce-3.12.tgz ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/alpha/packages-4-stable/x11-wm/xfce-3.12.tgz ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-5-current/x11-wm/xfce-3.12.tgz ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/alpha/packages-5-current/x11-wm/xfce-3.12.tgz 3) download a new port skeleton for the xfce port from: http://www.freebsd.org/ports/ and use it to rebuild the port. 4) Use the portcheckout utility to automate option (3) above. The portcheckout port is available in /usr/ports/devel/portcheckout or the package can be obtained from: ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-3-stable/devel/portcheckout-2.0.tgz ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-4-stable/devel/portcheckout-2.0.tgz ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/alpha/packages-4-stable/devel/portcheckout-2.0.tgz ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-5-current/devel/portcheckout-2.0.tgz ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/alpha/packages-5-current/devel/portcheckout-2.0.tgz - -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.0.4 (FreeBSD) Comment: For info see http://www.gnupg.org iQCVAwUBOgdCalUuHi5z0oilAQEwxwP+OoowcV51kn3hHjcFWZRk2GAIw/mu6gxP GsLscf2IMAX+dyJG+sNtpzktsrMsIFcv5ADjNjhW+WAqqGhNCosV6cQ8/BNi0+m4 o4Mqyc3jsYBkWzzXd/W6y4EWStup+7/iz/68DPdIUHs1IyfFQ7DiCgWXzZBo8GG1 6muI/XYYm6Q= =Ioj2 - -----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 iQCVAwUBOlSNLyh9+71yA2DNAQHzfwP/c9rx4Urg0kY3wASfUNxND2/kWY5ox3LX +i6GWHaWvaS7bQfOCw/8SyvbJs8Ee4pn3B4Pt/LkMvKzpYpaT4+wzSMHFoF+RpbG po8GHenQJaRGKc0EqttPx6OrSa7cq5mPdpsF4Pvgh5W8Cvo/gcdo1QyjN0sKotNL lWdxMS+algU= =6pKm -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----