full-disclosure - [ GLSA 200810-02 ] Portage: Untrusted search path local root vulnerability

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Message-Id: <200810091936.54735.rbu@gentoo.org>
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 19:36:48 +0200
From: Robert Buchholz <rbu@...too.org>
To: gentoo-announce@...too.org
Cc: full-disclosure@...ts.grok.org.uk, bugtraq@...urityfocus.com,
	security-alerts@...uxsecurity.com
Subject: [ GLSA 200810-02 ] Portage: Untrusted search path
	local root vulnerability

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Gentoo Linux Security Advisory                           GLSA 200810-02
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                                            http://security.gentoo.org/
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  Severity: High
     Title: Portage: Untrusted search path local root vulnerability
      Date: October 09, 2008
      Bugs: #239560
        ID: 200810-02

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Synopsis
========

A search path vulnerability in Portage allows local attackers to
execute commands with root privileges if emerge is called from
untrusted directories.

Background
==========

Portage is Gentoo's package manager which is responsible for
installing, compiling and updating all packages on the system through
the Gentoo rsync tree.

Affected packages
=================

    -------------------------------------------------------------------
     Package           /  Vulnerable  /                     Unaffected
    -------------------------------------------------------------------
  1  sys-apps/portage      < 2.1.4.5                        >= 2.1.4.5

Description
===========

The Gentoo Security Team discovered that several ebuilds, such as
sys-apps/portage, net-mail/fetchmail or app-editors/leo execute Python
code using "python -c", which includes the current working directory in
Python's module search path. For several ebuild functions, Portage did
not change the working directory from emerge's working directory.

Impact
======

A local attacker could place a specially crafted Python module in a
directory (such as /tmp) and entice the root user to run commands such
as "emerge sys-apps/portage" from that directory, resulting in the
execution of arbitrary Python code with root privileges.

Workaround
==========

Do not run "emerge" from untrusted working directories.

Resolution
==========

All Portage users should upgrade to the latest version:

    # cd /root
    # emerge --sync
    # emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose ">=sys-apps/portage-2.1.4.5"

NOTE: To upgrade to Portage 2.1.4.5 using 2.1.4.4 or prior, you must
run emerge from a trusted working directory, such as "/root".

References
==========

  [ 1 ] CVE-2008-4394
        http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2008-4394

Availability
============

This GLSA and any updates to it are available for viewing at
the Gentoo Security Website:

  http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200810-02.xml

Concerns?
=========

Security is a primary focus of Gentoo Linux and ensuring the
confidentiality and security of our users machines is of utmost
importance to us. Any security concerns should be addressed to
security@...too.org or alternatively, you may file a bug at
http://bugs.gentoo.org.

License
=======

Copyright 2008 Gentoo Foundation, Inc; referenced text
belongs to its owner(s).

The contents of this document are licensed under the
Creative Commons - Attribution / Share Alike license.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5

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