Gentoo Linux Advisory: automake

Apr 08, 2004, 20:27 (0 Talkback[s])

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Gentoo Linux Security Advisory GLSA 200404-08

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http://security.gentoo.org

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Severity: High
Title: GNU Automake symbolic link vulnerability
Date: April 08, 2004
Bugs: #45646
ID: 200404-08

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Synopsis

Automake may be vulnerable to a symbolic link attack which may allow an attacker to modify data or elevate their privileges.

Background

Automake is a tool for automatically generating `Makefile.in' files which is often used in conjuction with Autoconf and other GNU Autotools to ease portability among applications. It also provides a standardized and light way of writing complex Makefiles through the use of many built-in macros.

Affected packages

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Package / Vulnerable / Unaffected

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sys-devel/automake / < 1.8.3 / >= 1.8.3

Description

Automake may be vulnerable to a symbolic link attack which may allow an attacker to modify data or escalate their privileges. This is due to the insecure way Automake creates directories during compilation. An attacker may be able to create symbolic links in the place of files contained in the affected directories, which may potentially lead to elevated privileges due to modification of data.

Impact

An attacker may be able to use this vulnerability to modify data in an unauthorized fashion or elevate their privileges.

Workaround

A workaround is not currently known for this issue. All users are advised to upgrade to the latest version of the affected package.

Resolution

Automake users should upgrade to version 1.8.3 or later:

    # emerge sync
    # emerge -pv ">=sys-devel/automake-1.8.3"
    # emerge ">=sys-devel/automake-1.8.3"

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@gentoo.org or alternatively, you may file a bug at http://bugs.gentoo.org.