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===========================================================================
             AUSCERT External Security Bulletin Redistribution

                   ESB-2002.435 -- SGI Security Advisory
                   Acrobat Reader symlink vulnerability
                              15 August 2002

===========================================================================

        AusCERT Security Bulletin Summary
        ---------------------------------

Product:                Adobe Acrobat Reader (acroread) v4.05
Vendor:                 SGI
Operating System:       IRIX
Impact:                 Execute Arbitrary Code/Commands
Access Required:        Existing Account

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_____________________________________________________________________________

                          SGI Security Advisory

        Title:      Acrobat Reader symlink vulnerability
        Number:     20020806-01-I
        Date:       August 14, 2002
        Reference:  CAN-2001-1069
_____________________________________________________________________________

- - -----------------------
- - --- Issue Specifics ---
- - -----------------------

It's been reported that the 4.05 version of Adobe's Acrobat Reader
("acroread") supplied with IRIX 6.5 creates insecure temporary files:

http://online.securityfocus.com/archive/1/277932/2002-06-17/2002-06-23/0

This is considered to be a low risk vulnerability open to the possibility
of a symlink attack.

SGI has investigated the issue and recommends the following steps for
neutralizing the exposure.  It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that these measures be
implemented on ALL vulnerable SGI systems.

These issues have been corrected in future releases of IRIX.


- - --------------
- - --- Impact ---
- - --------------

The /usr/bin/acroread binary is not installed by default on IRIX 6.5
systems, it is part of the optional acrobat.sw.reader package supplied on
the IRIX Applications CD.

To determine the version of IRIX you are running, execute the following
command:

  # uname -R

That will return a result similar to the following:

  # 6.5 6.5.16f

The first number ("6.5") is the release name, the second ("6.5.16f" in this
case) is the extended release name.  The extended release name is the
"version" we refer to throughout this document.

To see if acroread is installed, execute the following command:

$ versions acrobat.sw.reader
I = Installed, R = Removed

   Name                 Date        Description

   I  acrobat              09/19/2000  Adobe Acrobat Reader, 4.05
   I  acrobat.sw           09/19/2000  Acrobat Reader Software, 4.05
   I  acrobat.sw.reader    09/19/2000  Acrobat Reader, 4.05

If the output shows that version 4.05 of the software is installed, the
system is vulnerable.

This vulnerability was assigned the following CVE:
http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CAN-2001-1069


- - ----------------------------
- - --- Temporary Workaround ---
- - ----------------------------

SGI will release an updated Acrobat Reader package on the Applications CD as
shipped with IRIX 6.5.19.  If you want to protect yourself until updating to
6.5.19, or if you simply cannot update to 6.5.19, then installing the
following script will afford you the same protection:

First rename /usr/adobe/Acrobat4.0/bin/acroread to acroread.dist:

  # mv /usr/adobe/Acrobat4.0/bin/acroread
      /usr/adobe/Acrobat4.0/bin/acroread.dist

Then insert the following script in its place:

  ------- cut here -----
  #!/bin/sh -fb

  # Acrobat Reader 4.05 (acroread) creates temporary files in /tmp (or
  # in directory pointed by TMP environment variable) insecurely when
  # opening or printing a PDF document.  If we use /tmp malicious users
  # could craft symlinks that caused files to be overwritten.

    PROG="/usr/adobe/Acrobat4.0/bin/acroread.dist"
    MYTMP="${HOME}/.acrobat"

    export TMPDIR=$MYTMP;
    export TMP=$MYTMP;

  # Create the new ~/.acroread temporary directory if necessary.
  # Let users symlink it to another location if they want.
  # Since the link is in their home directory it should be as
  # trustworthy as anything else.
    if [ ! -e $MYTMP ]; then
      /bin/mkdir -m 700 $MYTMP || exit $?
    fi

    exec $PROG ${1+"$@"}
   ------- cut here -----

Install that script as /usr/adobe/Acrobat4.0/bin/acroread

Don't forget to:

  # chmod 755 /usr/adobe/Acrobat4.0/bin/acroread


- - ----------------
- - --- Solution ---
- - ----------------

SGI has not provided patches for this vulnerability. Our recommendation is
to upgrade to IRIX 6.5.19 when it becomes available or use the wrapper
script workaround shown above.


   OS Version     Vulnerable?     Patch #      Other Actions
   ----------     -----------     -------      -------------
   IRIX 3.x        unknown                     Note 1
   IRIX 4.x        unknown                     Note 1
   IRIX 5.x        unknown                     Note 1
   IRIX 6.0.x      unknown                     Note 1
   IRIX 6.1        unknown                     Note 1
   IRIX 6.2        unknown                     Note 1
   IRIX 6.3        unknown                     Note 1
   IRIX 6.4        unknown                     Note 1
   IRIX 6.5          yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.1        yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.2        yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.3        yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.4        yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.5        yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.6        yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.7        yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.8        yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.9        yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.10       yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.11       yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.12       yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.13       yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.14       yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.15       yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.16       yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.17       yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.18       yes                       Note 2
   IRIX 6.5.19       no

   NOTES

     1) This version of the IRIX operating has been retired. Upgrade to an
        actively supported IRIX operating system.  See
        http://support.sgi.com/irix/news/index.html#policy for more
        information.

     2) Use the wrapper shown above.


- - -------------
- - --- Links ---
- - -------------

SGI Security Advisories can be found at:
http://www.sgi.com/support/security/ and
ftp://patches.sgi.com/support/free/security/advisories/

SGI Security Patches can be found at:
http://www.sgi.com/support/security/ and
ftp://patches.sgi.com/support/free/security/patches/

SGI patches for IRIX can be found at the following patch servers:
http://support.sgi.com/irix/ and ftp://patches.sgi.com/

SGI freeware updates for IRIX can be found at:
http://freeware.sgi.com/

SGI fixes for SGI open sourced code can be found on:
http://oss.sgi.com/projects/

SGI patches and RPMs for Linux can be found at:
http://support.sgi.com/linux/ or
http://oss.sgi.com/projects/sgilinux-combined/download/security-fixes/

SGI patches for Windows NT or 2000 can be found at:
http://support.sgi.com/nt/

IRIX 5.2-6.4 Recommended/Required Patch Sets can be found at:
http://support.sgi.com/irix/ and ftp://patches.sgi.com/support/patchset/

IRIX 6.5 Maintenance Release Streams can be found at:
http://support.sgi.com/colls/patches/tools/relstream/index.html

IRIX 6.5 Software Update CDs can be obtained from:
http://support.sgi.com/irix/swupdates/

The primary SGI anonymous FTP site for security advisories and patches is
patches.sgi.com (216.32.174.211).  Security advisories and patches are
located under the URL ftp://patches.sgi.com/support/free/security/

For security and patch management reasons, ftp.sgi.com (mirrors
patches.sgi.com security FTP repository) lags behind and does not do a
real-time update.


- - ------------------------
- - --- Acknowledgments ----
- - ------------------------

SGI wishes to thank FIRST and the users of the Internet Community at large
for their assistance in this matter.


- - -----------------------------------------
- - --- SGI Security Information/Contacts ---
- - -----------------------------------------

If there are questions about this document, email can be sent to
security-info@sgi.com.

                      ------oOo------

SGI provides security information and patches for use by the entire SGI
community.  This information is freely available to any person needing the
information and is available via anonymous FTP and the Web.

The primary SGI anonymous FTP site for security advisories and patches is
patches.sgi.com (216.32.174.211).  Security advisories and patches are
located under the URL ftp://patches.sgi.com/support/free/security/

The SGI Security Headquarters Web page is accessible at the URL:
http://www.sgi.com/support/security/

For issues with the patches on the FTP sites, email can be sent to
security-info@sgi.com.

For assistance obtaining or working with security patches, please
contact your SGI support provider.

                      ------oOo------

SGI provides a free security mailing list service called wiretap and
encourages interested parties to self-subscribe to receive (via email) all
SGI Security Advisories when they are released. Subscribing to the mailing
list can be done via the Web
(http://www.sgi.com/support/security/wiretap.html) or by sending email to
SGI as outlined below.

% mail wiretap-request@sgi.com
subscribe wiretap <YourEmailAddress>
end
^d

In the example above, <YourEmailAddress> is the email address that you wish
the mailing list information sent to.  The word end must be on a separate
line to indicate the end of the body of the message. The control-d (^d) is
used to indicate to the mail program that you are finished composing the
mail message.


                      ------oOo------

SGI provides a comprehensive customer World Wide Web site. This site is
located at http://www.sgi.com/support/security/ .

                      ------oOo------

If there are general security questions on SGI systems, email can be sent to
security-info@sgi.com.

For reporting *NEW* SGI security issues, email can be sent to
security-alert@sgi.com or contact your SGI support provider.  A support
contract is not required for submitting a security report.

______________________________________________________________________________
      This information is provided freely to all interested parties
      and may be redistributed provided that it is not altered in any
      way, SGI is appropriately credited and the document retains and
      includes its valid PGP signature.


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