N-113: Sun Buffer Overflow in LDAP Name Service

REVISION HISTORY
12/15/03 - CIAC has revised Bulletin N-113 to reflect the availability of Sun 
           patches vs. just workarounds when originally released on 7/2/2003.
		   
		   
[***** Start Sun Alert ID: 52222 *****]


                   http://www.sunsolve.sun.com/pub-cgi/retrieve.pl?doc=
                             fsalert%2F52222&zone_32=category%3Asecurity 
______________________________________________________________________________

REVISION HISTORY
12/15/03 - CIAC has revised Bulletin N-113 to reflect the availability of Sun 
           patches vs. just workarounds when originally released on 7/2/2003.


[***** Start Sun Alert ID: 52222 *****]


Sun(sm) Alert Notification 
Sun Alert ID: 52222 
Synopsis: In Solaris 8 and Solaris 9 a Buffer Overflow in the LDAP Name Service 
          May Lead to Unauthorized Root Access 
Category: Security 
Product: Solaris 
BugIDs: 4830525 
Avoidance: Workaround, Patch 
State: Resolved 
Date Released: 26-Mar-2003, 22-Oct-2003, 30-Oct-2003, 12-Dec-2003 
Date Closed: 12-Dec-2003 
Date Modified: 22-Oct-2003, 23-Oct-2003, 30-Oct-2003, 06-Nov-2003, 12-Dec-2003 


1. Impact 
On Solaris 8 and Solaris 9 systems with the LDAP name service enabled, an 
unprivileged local user may be able to gain unauthorized root access due 
to a buffer overflow in the "nss_ldap.so.1" library. 

2. Contributing Factors 
This issue can occur in the following releases: 

SPARC Platform 

Solaris 8 without patch 108993-31 
Solaris 9 without patch 112960-09 
x86 Platform 

Solaris 8 without patch 108994-31 
Solaris 9 without patch 114328-02 
Note: Solaris 2.6 and Solaris 7 are not affected. 

Solaris 2.5.1 will not be evaluated regarding the potential impact of the 
issue described in this Sun Alert document. 

Only Solaris 8 and Solaris 9 systems with the LDAP name service enabled in 
the "/etc/nsswitch.conf" file for any of the following databases are 
affected by this issue: 

bootparams 
ethers 
hosts 
ipnodes 
netgroup 
netmasks 
networks 
The LDAP name service is enabled for a database if the "ldap" keyword is 
present in the "/etc/nsswitch.conf" as shown for the "hosts", "networks", 
and "netgroup" databases in the following example: 

    $ grep ldap /etc/nsswitch.conf
    hosts:      ldap dns [NOTFOUND=return] files
    networks:   ldap [NOTFOUND=return] files
    netgroup:   ldap 
	                   
3. Symptoms 
There are no predictable symptoms that would show the described issue has 
been exploited to gain root privileges. 

Solution Summary Top 

4. Relief/Workaround 
To work around the described issue, edit the "/etc/nsswitch.conf" file to 
not use LDAP with the following databases (i.e. remove the "ldap" keyword 
for these database entries): 

bootparams 
ethers 
hosts 
ipnodes 
netgroup 
netmasks 
networks 
For example, edit the following line in "/etc/nsswitch.conf" from: 

    hosts:      ldap dns [NOTFOUND=return] files         
to 

    hosts:      dns [NOTFOUND=return] files        
Editing the "/etc/nsswitch.conf" file requires root access rights. 


5. Resolution 
This issue is addressed in the following releases: 

SPARC Platform 

Solaris 8 with patch 108993-31 or later 
Solaris 9 with patch 112960-09 or later 
x86 Platform 

Solaris 8 with patch 108994-31 or later 
Solaris 9 with patch 114328-02 or later 

Change History 
22-Oct-2003: 
Updated Relief/Workaround section with temporary patches 

23-Oct-2003: 
Updated Relief/Workaround section 

30-Oct-2003: 
Patches are available 

06-Nov-2003: 
Updated Contributing Factors, Relief/Workaround and Resolution sections 

12-Dec-2003: 
Updated Contributing Factors and Resolution sections 

State: Resolved 

This Sun Alert notification is being provided to you on an "AS IS" basis. 
This Sun Alert notification may contain information provided by third parties. 
The issues described in this Sun Alert notification may or may not impact 
your system(s). Sun makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees as 
to the information contained herein. ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR 
IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, 
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT, ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED. 
BY ACCESSING THIS DOCUMENT YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SUN SHALL IN NO EVENT BE 
LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL 
DAMAGES THAT ARISE OUT OF YOUR USE OR FAILURE TO USE THE INFORMATION 
CONTAINED HEREIN. This Sun Alert notification contains Sun proprietary and 
confidential information. It is being provided to you pursuant to the 
provisions of your agreement to purchase services from Sun, or, if you 
do not have such an agreement, the Sun.com Terms of Use. This Sun Alert 
notification may only be used for the purposes contemplated by these 
agreements. 

Copyright 2000-2003 Sun Microsystems, Inc., 4150 Network Circle, 
Santa Clara, CA 95054 U.S.A. All rights reserved.


[***** End Sun Alert ID: 52222 *****]

    Voice:          +1 866-941-2472 (7 x 24)
    E-mail:          doecirc@doecirc.energy.gov
    World Wide Web:  http://www.doecirc.energy.gov/