Protect yourself against future threats.
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AUSCERT External Security Bulletin Redistribution
ESB-2000.355 -- FreeBSD-SA-00:75
mod_php3/mod_php4 allows remote code execution
22 November 2000
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AusCERT Security Bulletin Summary
---------------------------------
Product: mod_php3 mod_php4
Vendor: FreeBSD Ports Collection
Operating System: FreeBSD
BSD
Linux
Impact: Execute Arbitrary Code/Commands
Access Required: Remote
Ref: ESB-2000.306
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FreeBSD-SA-00:75 Security Advisory
FreeBSD, Inc.
Topic: mod_php3/mod_php4 allows remote code execution
Category: ports
Module: mod_php3/mod_php4
Announced: 2000-11-20
Credits: Jouko Pynnönen <jouko@SOLUTIONS.FI>
Affects: Ports collection prior to the correction date.
Corrected: 2000-10-12 (mod_php4), 2000-10-18 (mod_php3)
Vendor status: Updated version released
FreeBSD only: NO
I. Background
php is a commonly used HTML-embedded scripting language.
II. Problem Description
The mod_php ports, versions prior to 3.0.17 (mod_php3) and 4.0.3
(mod_php4), contain a potential vulnerablilty that may allow a
malicious remote user to execute arbitrary code as the user running
the web server, typically user 'nobody'. The vulnerability is due to
a format string vulnerability in the error logging routines.
A web server is vulnerable if error logging is enabled in php.ini.
Additionally, individual php scripts may cause the web server to be
vulnerable if the script uses the syslog() php function regardless of
error logging in php.ini.
The mod_php ports are not installed by default, nor are they "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
contain 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
Malicious remote users can execute arbitrary code on the local system
as the user running the webserver (typically user 'nobody'). This
vulnerability requires error logging to be enabled in php.ini or by
using the syslog() php function in a script.
If you have not chosen to install the mod_php3 or mod_php4
port/package, then your system is not vulnerable to this problem.
IV. Workaround
Deinstall the mod_php3/mod_php4 port/package, if you you have
installed it.
V. Solution
One of the following:
1) Upgrade your entire ports collection and rebuild the
mod_php3/mod_php4 port.
2) Deinstall the old package and install a new package dated after the
correction date, obtained from:
[php3]
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-3-stable/www/mod_php-3.0.17.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-4-stable/www/mod_php-3.0.17.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/alpha/packages-4-stable/www/mod_php-3.0.17.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-5-current/www/mod_php-3.0.17.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/alpha/packages-5-current/www/mod_php-3.0.17.tgz
[php4]
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-3-stable/www/mod_php-4.0.3pl1.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-4-stable/www/mod_php-4.0.3pl1.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/alpha/packages-4-stable/www/mod_php-4.0.3pl1.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-5-current/www/mod_php-4.0.3pl1.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/alpha/packages-5-current/www/mod_php-4.0.3pl1.tgz
3) download a new port skeleton for the mod_php3/mod_php4 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
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