Netscape Communicator /tmp Symlink Vulnerability

BID:1201

Info

Netscape Communicator /tmp Symlink Vulnerability

Bugtraq ID: 1201
Class: Race Condition Error
CVE:
Remote: No
Local: Yes
Published: May 10 2000 12:00AM
Updated: May 10 2000 12:00AM
Credit: This vulnerability was posted to the Bugtraq mailing list on May 10, 2000 by foo <[email protected]>
Vulnerable: Netscape Communicator 4.73
- Caldera OpenLinux Desktop 2.3
- Caldera OpenLinux eBuilder 3.0
- Mandriva Linux Mandrake 7.1
- Mandriva Linux Mandrake 7.0
- Mandriva Linux Mandrake 6.1
- Mandriva Linux Mandrake 6.0
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
- Microsoft Windows 95
- Microsoft Windows 98
- Microsoft Windows 98SE
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6a
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP5
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP4
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP3
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP2
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP1
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
- Redhat Linux 6.2 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.2 i386
- Redhat Linux 6.2 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.1 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.1 i386
- Redhat Linux 6.1 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.0 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.0 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.0
- Redhat Linux 5.2 sparc
- Redhat Linux 5.2 i386
- Redhat Linux 5.2 alpha
- SCO eDesktop 2.4
- SCO eServer 2.3
- SuSE Linux 7.0
Netscape Communicator 4.72
- Caldera OpenLinux Desktop 2.3
- Caldera OpenLinux eBuilder 3.0
- Mandriva Linux Mandrake 7.1
- Mandriva Linux Mandrake 7.0
- Mandriva Linux Mandrake 6.1
- Mandriva Linux Mandrake 6.0
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
- Microsoft Windows 95
- Microsoft Windows 98
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6a
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP5
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP4
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP3
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP2
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP1
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
- Redhat Linux 6.2 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.2 i386
- Redhat Linux 6.2 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.1 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.1 i386
- Redhat Linux 6.1 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.0 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.0 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.0
- Redhat Linux 5.2 sparc
- Redhat Linux 5.2 i386
- Redhat Linux 5.2 alpha
- SCO eDesktop 2.4
- SCO eServer 2.3
- SuSE Linux 7.0
Netscape Communicator 4.61
- Caldera OpenLinux Desktop 2.3
- Caldera OpenLinux eBuilder 3.0
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
- Microsoft Windows 95
- Microsoft Windows 98
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
- Redhat Linux 6.2 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.2 i386
- Redhat Linux 6.2 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.1 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.1 i386
- Redhat Linux 6.1 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.0 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.0 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.0
- Redhat Linux 5.2 sparc
- Redhat Linux 5.2 i386
- Redhat Linux 5.2 alpha
- SCO eDesktop 2.4
- SCO eServer 2.3
- SuSE Linux 7.0
Netscape Communicator 4.51
- Caldera OpenLinux Desktop 2.3
- Caldera OpenLinux eBuilder 3.0
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
- Microsoft Windows 95
- Microsoft Windows 98
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
- Redhat Linux 6.2 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.2 i386
- Redhat Linux 6.2 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.1 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.1 i386
- Redhat Linux 6.1 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.0 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.0 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.0
- Redhat Linux 5.2 sparc
- Redhat Linux 5.2 i386
- Redhat Linux 5.2 alpha
- SCO eDesktop 2.4
- SCO eServer 2.3
- SuSE Linux 7.0
Netscape Communicator 4.7
- Caldera OpenLinux Desktop 2.3
- Caldera OpenLinux eBuilder 3.0
- FreeBSD FreeBSD 4.5
- FreeBSD FreeBSD 4.4
- FreeBSD FreeBSD 4.3
- FreeBSD FreeBSD 4.2
- FreeBSD FreeBSD 4.1.1
- FreeBSD FreeBSD 4.1
- FreeBSD FreeBSD 4.0
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
- Microsoft Windows 95
- Microsoft Windows 98
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6a
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP5
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP4
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP3
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP2
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP1
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
- Redhat Linux 6.2 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.2 i386
- Redhat Linux 6.2 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.1 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.1 i386
- Redhat Linux 6.1 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.0 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.0 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.0
- Redhat Linux 5.2 sparc
- Redhat Linux 5.2 i386
- Redhat Linux 5.2 alpha
- SCO eDesktop 2.4
- SCO eServer 2.3
- SuSE Linux 7.0
Netscape Communicator 4.6
- Caldera OpenLinux Desktop 2.3
- Caldera OpenLinux eBuilder 3.0
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
- Microsoft Windows 95
- Microsoft Windows 98
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
- Redhat Linux 6.2 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.2 i386
- Redhat Linux 6.2 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.1 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.1 i386
- Redhat Linux 6.1 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.0 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.0 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.0
- Redhat Linux 5.2 sparc
- Redhat Linux 5.2 i386
- Redhat Linux 5.2 alpha
- SCO eDesktop 2.4
- SCO eServer 2.3
- SuSE Linux 7.0
Netscape Communicator 4.5
- Caldera OpenLinux Desktop 2.3
- Caldera OpenLinux eBuilder 3.0
- Mandriva Linux Mandrake 7.1
- Mandriva Linux Mandrake 7.0
- Mandriva Linux Mandrake 6.1
- Mandriva Linux Mandrake 6.0
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
- Microsoft Windows 95
- Microsoft Windows 98
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
- Redhat Linux 6.2 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.2 i386
- Redhat Linux 6.2 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.1 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.1 i386
- Redhat Linux 6.1 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.0 sparc
- Redhat Linux 6.0 alpha
- Redhat Linux 6.0
- Redhat Linux 5.2 sparc
- Redhat Linux 5.2 i386
- Redhat Linux 5.2 alpha
- SCO eDesktop 2.4
- SCO eServer 2.3
- SuSE Linux 7.0
Not Vulnerable:

Discussion

Netscape Communicator /tmp Symlink Vulnerability

Netscape Communicator version 4.73 and prior may be susceptible to a /tmp file race condition when importing certificates. Netscape creates a /tmp file which is world readable and writable in /tmp, without calling stat() or fstat() on the file. As such, it is possible, should a user be able to predict the file name, to cause a symbolic link to be created, and followed elsewhere on the file system.

Additionally, as the file is created mode 666 prior to being fchmod()'d to 600, there may be a window of opportunity for altering the contents of this file.

This issue has only been demonstrated on the Linux binary, for glibc. The sparc Solaris binary does not behave this way.

Exploit / POC

Netscape Communicator /tmp Symlink Vulnerability

Predict the name of the temporary file.
ln -sf /elsewhere /tmp/<tmpfilename>

Alternately, a program which watches for the creation of these temporary files, opens them upon their creation, and alters the contents can be written.

Solution / Fix

Netscape Communicator /tmp Symlink Vulnerability

Solution:
Currently the SecurityFocus staff are not aware of any vendor supplied patches for this issue. If you feel we are in error or are aware of more recent information, please mail us at: [email protected].

References

Netscape Communicator /tmp Symlink Vulnerability

References:
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