super.bof.txt

`Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 10:59:40 -0500 (EST)  
From: X-Force <[email protected]>  
To: [email protected]  
Cc: X-Force <[email protected]>  
Subject: ISSalert: ISS Security Advisory: Buffer Overflow in "Super" package in Debian Linux  
  
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ISS Security Advisory  
February 15, 1999  
  
Buffer Overflow in "Super" package in Debian Linux  
  
  
Synopsis:  
  
Internet Security Systems (ISS) X-Force has discovered a vulnerability in  
the system administration utility, "Super". Super is used by   
administrators to allow certain users to execute commands with root  
privileges. The vulnerability is distributed with Debian Linux. It may  
allow local attackers to compromise root access. Super is a GNU  
copylefted package that is distributed with recent Debian Linux  
distributions, but it can be installed and configured for many Unix  
variants.   
  
  
Affected versions:  
  
ISS X-Force has determined that version 3.9.6 through version 3.11.6 are  
vulnerable. All versions of Super distributed with Debian Linux are  
vulnerable. Execute the following command to determine version  
information:  
  
# /usr/bin/super -V  
  
  
Fix Information:  
  
Super 3.11.7 is available at:  
ftp.ucolick.org:/pub/users/will/super-3.11.7.tar.gz  
  
The new version of Super will be available soon on the mirror:  
ftp.onshore.com:/pub/mirror/software/super  
  
Please refer to these locations for fixes which are included in  
Super version 3.11.7.  
  
Description:  
  
Super is a utility that allows authorized users to execute commands with  
root privileges. It is intended to be an alternate to setuid scripts,  
which are inherently dangerous. A buffer overflow exists in Super that  
may allow attackers to take advantage of its setuid configuration to gain  
root access.  
  
  
Recommended Action:  
  
Version 3.11.7 should be installed immediately. Administrators should   
take care to disable setuid root utilities that are not used by regular   
users. To disable Super permanently, execute the following command   
as root to disable the setuid bit:  
  
# chmod 755 /usr/bin/super  
  
__________  
  
Copyright (c) 1999 by Internet Security Systems, Inc.  
  
Permission is hereby granted for the redistribution of this alert  
electronically. It is not to be edited in any way without express  
consent of X-Force. If you wish to reprint the whole or any part of this  
alert in any other medium excluding electronic medium, please e-mail  
[email protected] for permission.  
  
Disclaimer:  
  
The information within this paper may change without notice. Use of this  
information constitutes acceptance for use in an AS IS condition. There  
are NO warranties with regard to this information. In no event shall the  
author be liable for any damages whatsoever arising out of or in  
connection with the use or spread of this information. Any use of this  
information is at the user's own risk.  
  
X-Force PGP Key available at: http://www.iss.net/xforce/sensitive.html,  
as well as on MIT's PGP key server and PGP.com's key server.  
  
X-Force Vulnerability and Threat Database: http://www.iss.net/xforce  
  
Please send suggestions, updates, and comments to: X-Force  
<[email protected]> of Internet Security Systems, Inc.  
  
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Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 10:22:01 +0100  
From: [email protected]  
Reply-To: Martin Schulze <[email protected]>  
To: [email protected]  
Subject: [SECURITY] New versions of super fixes two buffer overflows  
  
====================================================================  
Debian GNU/Linux Security February 15th, 1999  
  
  
We have received reports about two buffer overflows in the super  
package which was distributed as part of Debian GNU/Linux. Firstly,  
for per-user .supertab files super didn't check for a buffer overflow  
when creating the path to the user's .supertab file. Secondly another  
buffer overflow did allow ordinary users to overflow super by creating  
a nasty personal .supertab file.  
  
We recommend you upgrade your super packages immediately.  
  
wget url  
will fetch the file for you  
dpkg -i file.deb  
will install the referenced file.  
  
Debian GNU/Linux 2.0 alias hamm, upcoming 2.1 alias slink and unstable  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The binary package is the same for all distributions of Debian  
GNU/Linux since it doesn't link to any special library.  
  
Source archives:  
ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/source/admin/super_3.11.7-1.diff.gz  
MD5 checksum: ad2b28848ab83824e9a4256fb5610c6a  
ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/source/admin/super_3.11.7-1.dsc  
MD5 checksum: a380591182beb282aca04f52c90a99d2  
ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/source/admin/super_3.11.6.orig.tar.gz  
MD5 checksum: 591cdcc50c9cfbaabc019889796dc43f  
  
Intel architecture:  
ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/binary-i386/admin/super_3.11.7-1.deb  
MD5 checksum: 1979e2fa15b0e2161d6e3fae4ff5fa92  
  
Motorola 68xxx architecture:  
ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/binary-m68k/admin/super_3.11.7-1.deb  
MD5 checksum: 479dc49e7fe996bba35c1c2b94c155bd  
  
PowerPC architecture:  
ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/binary-powerpc/admin/super_3.11.7-1.deb  
MD5 checksum: 20d464d1d3f4322d393e825377d20cfe  
  
Although the upcoming release of Debian will be made for the Sparc  
architecture as well there is no fixing package at the moment. It  
will be uploaded and installed within the next days.  
  
For not yet released architectures please refer to the appropriate  
directory ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/sid/binary-$arch/ . The  
package is likely to be recompiled for them within the next few days.  
  
--  
Debian GNU/Linux . Security Managers . [email protected]  
[email protected]  
Christian Hudon . Wichert Akkerman . Martin Schulze  
<[email protected]> . <[email protected]> . <[email protected]>  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 20:54:52 -0800  
From: William Deich <[email protected]>  
To: [email protected]  
Subject: Re: BUGTRAQ Digest - 17 Feb 1999 to 18 Feb 1999 (#1999-45)  
  
der Mouse wrote:  
  
> Subject: Re: ISSalert: ISS Security Advisory: Buffer Overflow in "Super"  
...  
> Does anyone (who is willing to talk) know anything more about this?  
> One site I work at has a version of super earlier than 3.9.6 installed,  
> and the advisory neither states that any versions are *not* vulnerable  
> (except, implicitly, 3.11.7) nor describes the vulnerability in enough  
> detail for me to test our version.  
>  
Generally, super v3.9.6 - v3.11.6 contains two known buffer overflow  
problems. The specific problem demonstrated by ISS X-Force to gain local  
root access was not introduced until _after_ 3.9.6, but all versions in  
that range had one problem or the other. (If you want complete details,  
please email me. In the usual manner of buffer overflows, the exploit  
is almost trivial if you know what to attack, so I'm not willing to  
publish on bugtraq the exact line of the code where the problem occurs.)  
  
Even you have an older version of super than 3.9.6, I urge you to upgrade,  
because a quick perusal of the "WhatsNew" file in the package shows that  
various other bugs -- not generally root-access bugs -- have been fixed  
over the years. Note that 3.9.6 is already three years old; other  
released versions go back to 1994 or so.  
  
It turned out that the announcement of the local root exploit caused  
more people to report more problems, and as a result super has had two  
quick updates, and the current version of super is 3.11.9.  
  
As usual, the home location is:  
  
ftp.ucolick.org:/pub/users/will/super-3.11.9.tar.gz  
  
Or, if you prefer to patch:  
  
ftp.ucolick.org:/pub/users/will/super-3.11.6-3.11.9  
ftp.ucolick.org:/pub/users/will/super-3.11.7-3.11.9  
ftp.ucolick.org:/pub/users/will/super-3.11.8-3.11.9  
  
These should shortly appear on the ftp.onshore.com mirror at  
ftp.onshore.com:/pub/mirror/software/super/  
  
Finally, one small correction to the X-Force announcement, which said that  
super is gnu copyleft'd. Actually, you are permitted to redistribute it  
and/or modify it under the terms of either the GNU license or Larry  
Wall's "Artistic License"; take your pick. (I'm agnostic :-)  
  
-Will  
--  
William Deich  
UCO / Lick Observatory | Internet: [email protected]  
University of California | Phone: (831) 459-3913  
Santa Cruz, CA 95064 | Fax: (831) 426-3115  
  
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