Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 12:24:03 -0700
From: FreeBSD Security Officer [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: FreeBSD Security Advisory: FreeBSD-SA-00:18.gnapster
FreeBSD-SA-00:18 Security Advisory
FreeBSD, Inc.
Topic: gnapster port allows remote users to view local files
Category: ports
Module: gnapster
Announced: 2000-05-09
Credits: Fixed by vendor.
Affects: Ports collection.
Corrected: 2000-04-29
Vendor status: Updated version released.
FreeBSD only: NO
I. Background
Gnapster is a client for the Napster file-sharing network.
II. Problem Description
The gnapster port (version 1.3.8 and earlier) contains a
vulnerability which allows remote gnapster users to view any file
on the local system which is accessible to the user running
gnapster. Gnapster does not run with elevated privileges, so it is
only the user’s regular filesystem access permissions which are
involved.
The gnapster port is not installed by default, nor is it “part
of FreeBSD” as such: it is part of the FreeBSD ports collection,
which contains over 3200 third-party applications in a
ready-to-install format. The ports collection shipped with FreeBSD
4.0 contains this problem since it was discovered after the
release.
FreeBSD makes no claim about the security of these third-party
applications, although an effort is underway to provide a security
audit of the most security-critical ports.
III. Impact
Remote users can view files accessible to the user running the
gnapster client.
If you have not chosen to install the gnapster port/package,
then your system is not vulnerable to this problem.
IV. Workaround
Deinstall the gnapster port/package, if you you have installed
it.
V. Solution
One of the following:
1) Upgrade your entire ports collection and rebuild the gnapster
port.
2) Reinstall a new package dated after the correction date,
obtained from:
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-3-stable/audio/gnapster-1.3.9.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-4-stable/audio/gnapster-1.3.9.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/alpha/packages-4-stable/audio/gnapster-1.3.9.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-5-current/audio/gnapster-1.3.9.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/alpha/packages-5-current/audio/gnapster-1.3.9.tgz
Note: it may be several days before the updated packages are
available.
3) download a new port skeleton for the gnapster port from:
and use it to rebuild the port.
4) Use the portcheckout utility to automate option (3) above.
The portcheckout port is available in /usr/ports/devel/portcheckout
or the package can be obtained from:
ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/packages/devel/portcheckout-1.0.tgz