SOT Linux Advisory: slocate

SOT Linux Security Advisory

Subject: Updated slocate package for SOT Linux 2003
Advisory ID: SLSA-2004:2
Date: Thursday, February 19, 2004
Product: SOT Linux 2003

1. Problem description

Slocate is a security-enhanced version of locate, designed to find files on a system via a central database.

A vulnerability has been found in Slocate versions up to and including 2.7 where a carefully crafted database could overflow a heap-based buffer. A local user could exploit this vulnerability to gain "slocate" group privileges and then read the entire slocate database. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org/) has assigned the name CAN-2003-0848 to this issue.

These packages also fix a buffer overflow that affected unpatched versions of Slocate prior to 2.7. This vulnerability could also allow a local user to gain "slocate" group privileges. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org/) has assigned the name CAN-2003-0056 to this issue.

Users of slocate should update to these update packages, which contain a backported security patch that corrects this issue.

2. Updated packages

SOT Linux 2003 Desktop:

i386:
ftp://ftp.sot.com/updates/2003/Desktop/i386/slocate-2.7-4.i386.rpm

SRPMS:
ftp://ftp.sot.com/updates/2003/Desktop/SRPMS/slocate-2.7-4.src.rpm

SOT Linux 2003 Server:

i386:
ftp://ftp.sot.com/updates/2003/Server/i386/slocate-2.7-4.i386.rpm

SRPMS:
ftp://ftp.sot.com/updates/2003/Server/SRPMS/slocate-2.7-4.src.rpm

3. Upgrading package

Before applying this update, make sure all previously released errata relevant to your system have been applied.

Use up2date to automatically upgrade the fixed packages.

If you want to upgrade manually, download the updated package from the SOT Linux FTP site (use the links above) or from one of our mirrors. The list of mirrors can be obtained at www.sot.com/en/linux

Update the package with the following command: rpm -Uvh <filename>

4. Verification

All packages are PGP signed by SOT for security.

You can verify each package with the following command: rpm --checksig <filename>

If you wish to verify the integrity of the downloaded package, run "md5sum <filename>" and compare the output with data given below.

Package Name MD5 sum

/Desktop/i386/slocate-2.7-4.i386.rpm ab1de933b0cd2f88807bbe5f72ce5fe4
/Desktop/SRPMS/slocate-2.7-4.src.rpm 421173305f96dda9363616e3a87a4021
/Server/i386/slocate-2.7-4.i386.rpm ab1de933b0cd2f88807bbe5f72ce5fe4
/Server/SRPMS/slocate-2.7-4.src.rpm 421173305f96dda9363616e3a87a4021

5. References

http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CAN-2003-0848
http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CAN-2003-0056

Copyright(c) 2001-2003 SOT