[75] in Best-of-Security
BoS: CERT Vendor-Initiated Bulletin VB-97.01 - Division of Privilege (DoP)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Chris Kuivenhoven)
Fri Mar 14 23:45:13 1997
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 17:49:43 -0500 (EST)
From: Chris Kuivenhoven <cmk@digex.net>
Reply-To: cmk@digex.net
Errors-To: best-of-security-request@suburbia.net
To: best-of-security@suburbia.net
Resent-From: best-of-security@suburbia.net
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 15:25:30 -0500
From: CERT Bulletin <cert-advisory@cert.org>
Reply-To: cert-advisory-request@cert.org
To: cert-advisory@cert.org
Subject: CERT Vendor-Initiated Bulletin VB-97.01 - Division of Privilege (DoP)
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CERT(sm) Vendor-Initiated Bulletin VB-97.01
March 14, 1997
Topic: Division of Privilege (DoP) - Potential Security Vulnerability
Source: Digital Equipment Corporation
To aid in the wide distribution of essential security information, the CERT
Coordination Center is forwarding the following information from Digital
Equipment Corporation. Digital urges you to act on this information as soon as
possible. Digital Equipment Corporation contact information is included in the
forwarded text below; please contact them if you have any questions or need
further information.
=======================FORWARDED TEXT STARTS HERE============================
_______________________________________________________________________
PRODUCT: DIGITAL UNIX[TM] V4.0, V4.0A, V4.0B MARCH 6, 1997
TITLE: Division of Privilege (DoP) - Potential Security Vulnerability
SOURCE: Digital Equipment Corporation
Software Security Response Team/Colorado Springs USA
"Digital is broadly distributing this Security Advisory in order to
bring to the attention of users of Digital's products the important
security information contained in this Advisory. Digital recommends
that all users determine the applicability of this information to
their individual situations and take appropriate action.
Digital does not warrant that this information is necessarily
accurate or complete for all user situations and, consequently,
Digital will not be responsible for any damages resulting from
user's use or disregard of the information provided in this
Advisory."
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
IMPACT:
Digital has discovered a potential vulnerability with the
Division of Privilege (DoP), "/usr/sbin/dop" for DIGITAL UNIX
V4.0, V4.0A and V4.0B, where under certain circumstances,
an unauthorized user may gain unauthorized privileges. Digital
strongly recommends that the workaround be implemented
immediately for any version affected, and that the
appropriate patch kit be installed as soon as it becomes
available.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
RESOLUTION:
This potential security issue has been resolved and an
official fix for this problem will be made available
beginning the 13th of March 1997. As the patches become
available per affected version, Digital will provide them
through:
o the World Wide Web at the following FTP address:
ftp://ftp.service.digital.com/public/
the sub directory Digital_UNIX, key identifier SSRT0435U
Note: [1]The patch kits mentioned above will be replaced in
the near future through normal patch release
procedures.
[2]The appropriate patch kit must be reinstalled
following any upgrade beginning with V4.0
up to and including V4.0b.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
TEMPORARY WORKAROUND:
Prior to receiving the official patch for this fix, a
temporary workaround for this problem is to clear the
setuid bit from the /usr/sbin/dop command as follows:
# chmod 0 /usr/sbin/dop
This temporary workaround will resolve the security issue,
but will also defeat DoP's purpose. See "ADDITIONAL
COMMENTS" below for the purpose of DoP, the effect of
using this temporary workaround, and what to do as a
solution while using this temporary workaround.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
The DoP command is used to provide non-root users with the
ability to enter the root password to access the graphical
system management applications via the CDE application
manager or the Host Manager. When a non-root user
attempts to execute a system management application
through one of these applications, the user will be
prompted with a password dialog. If the user enters the
correct root password, they will gain root privilege while
running the given application.
If the setuid bit is cleared from /usr/sbin/dop, then
users will not be able to access the system management
applications from either the CDE application manager or
the Host Manager.
The following are workarounds to allow users to run the
graphical system management applications with DoP
disabled:
[1] Log into a CDE session as root and access the system
management applications.
[2] If logged in as a normal user, become root in your
preferred X-based terminal emulator (xterm, dxterm, dtterm,
etc.) and run the graphical system management application
via the command line.
If you need further information, please contact your
normal DIGITAL support channel.
DIGITAL appreciates your cooperation and patience. We
regret any inconvenience applying this information may cause.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright (c) Digital Equipment Corporation, 1995 All
Rights Reserved.
Unpublished Rights Reserved Under The Copyright Laws Of
The United States.
__________________________________________________________________
========================FORWARDED TEXT ENDS HERE=============================
If you believe that your system has been compromised, contact the CERT
Coordination Center or your representative in the Forum of Incident Response
and Security Teams (FIRST). See http://www.first.org/team-info/.
We strongly urge you to encrypt any sensitive information you send by email.
The CERT Coordination Center can support a shared DES key and PGP. Contact
the CERT staff for more information.
Location of CERT PGP key
ftp://info.cert.org/pub/CERT_PGP.key
CERT Contact Information
- ------------------------
Email cert@cert.org
Phone +1 412-268-7090 (24-hour hotline)
CERT personnel answer 8:30-5:00 p.m. EST
(GMT-5)/EDT(GMT-4), and are on call for
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Fax +1 412-268-6989
Postal address
CERT Coordination Center
Software Engineering Institute
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh PA 15213-3890
USA
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ftp://info.cert.org/pub/
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This file: ftp://info.cert.org/pub/cert_bulletins/VB-97.01.dec
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