J-Security Center

Title: Linux procfs Stream Redirection to Process Memory Vulnerability

Severity: MODERATE

Description:

The Linux /proc filesystem is a virtual filesystem provided by the Linux Kernel as an interface to some process and system information and parameters.

The filesystem contains one subdirectory for each process running on a system. Each subdirectory is named after the process ID of and contains entries specific to the process for which it was created. Among the entries is the 'mem' file, which contains the memory held by the process.

A subtle access validation error exists in the handling of the 'mem' file under certain circumstances. When a program is executed using the exec() family of functions, the process image of the calling process is overwritten with a new process image. The states of the standard I/O streams are maintained for the new process.

The problem occurs when the standard input (stdin) stream is re-opened for reading from the 'mem' file. If a program is executed using one of the exec() family of functions, any data read from stdin by the program will actually be read from process memory.

This could have serious ramifications if an attacker were to reposition the read offset of the file to an arbitrary location prior to executing a setuid program that obtains data from stdin. As an example scenario, it could be possible to bypass some form of protection imposed by a target program simply by having it read from a specific memory location.

Affected Products:

  • Caldera OpenLinux 2.3.0
  • Caldera OpenLinux 2.4.0
  • Caldera OpenLinux Server 3.1.0
  • Caldera OpenLinux Workstation 3.1.0
  • Conectiva Linux 4.0.0
  • Conectiva Linux 4.0.0 es
  • Conectiva Linux 4.1.0
  • Conectiva Linux 4.2.0
  • Conectiva Linux 5.0.0
  • Conectiva Linux 5.1.0
  • Conectiva Linux 6.0.0
  • Conectiva Linux ecommerce
  • Conectiva Linux graficas
  • Debian Linux 2.2.0
  • Debian Linux 2.2.0 68k
  • Debian Linux 2.2.0 alpha
  • Debian Linux 2.2.0 arm
  • Debian Linux 2.2.0 powerpc
  • Debian Linux 2.2.0 sparc
  • EnGarde Secure Linux 1.0.1
  • Immunix Immunix OS 7+
  • Linux kernel 2.2.0
  • Linux kernel 2.2.1
  • Linux kernel 2.2.10
  • Linux kernel 2.2.12
  • Linux kernel 2.2.13
  • Linux kernel 2.2.14
  • Linux kernel 2.2.15
  • Linux kernel 2.2.16
  • Linux kernel 2.2.17
  • Linux kernel 2.2.18
  • Linux kernel 2.2.19
  • Linux kernel 2.2.2
  • Linux kernel 2.2.3
  • Linux kernel 2.2.4
  • Linux kernel 2.2.5
  • Linux kernel 2.2.6
  • Linux kernel 2.2.7
  • Linux kernel 2.2.8
  • Linux kernel 2.2.9
  • Linux kernel 2.4.0
  • Linux kernel 2.4.1
  • Linux kernel 2.4.2
  • Linux kernel 2.4.3
  • MandrakeSoft Corporate Server 1.0.1
  • MandrakeSoft Linux Mandrake 6.0.0
  • MandrakeSoft Linux Mandrake 6.1.0
  • MandrakeSoft Linux Mandrake 7.0.0
  • MandrakeSoft Linux Mandrake 7.1.0
  • MandrakeSoft Linux Mandrake 7.2.0
  • MandrakeSoft Linux Mandrake 8.0.0
  • MandrakeSoft Linux Mandrake 8.0.0 ppc
  • MandrakeSoft Linux Mandrake 8.1.0
  • MandrakeSoft Single Network Firewall 7.2.0
  • RedHat Linux 6.0.0
  • RedHat Linux 6.0.0 alpha
  • RedHat Linux 6.0.0 sparc
  • RedHat Linux 6.1.0 alpha
  • RedHat Linux 6.1.0 i386
  • RedHat Linux 6.1.0 sparc
  • RedHat Linux 6.2.0
  • RedHat Linux 6.2.0 alpha
  • RedHat Linux 6.2.0 i386
  • RedHat Linux 6.2.0 sparc
  • RedHat Linux 7.0.0
  • RedHat Linux 7.0.0 alpha
  • RedHat Linux 7.0.0 i386
  • RedHat Linux 7.0.0 sparc
  • RedHat Linux 7.1.0 alpha
  • RedHat Linux 7.1.0 i386
  • S.u.S.E. Linux 6.0.0
  • S.u.S.E. Linux 6.1.0
  • S.u.S.E. Linux 6.1.0 alpha
  • S.u.S.E. Linux 6.3.0
  • S.u.S.E. Linux 6.3.0 alpha
  • S.u.S.E. Linux 6.3.0 ppc
  • S.u.S.E. Linux 6.4.0
  • S.u.S.E. Linux 6.4.0 alpha
  • S.u.S.E. Linux 6.4.0 ppc
  • S.u.S.E. Linux 7.0.0
  • SCO eDesktop 2.4.0
  • SCO eServer 2.3.1
  • Slackware Linux 4.0.0
  • Slackware Linux 7.0.0
  • Slackware Linux 7.1.0
  • Sun Cobalt Qube 3
  • Sun Cobalt RaQ 4
  • Sun Cobalt RaQ XTR
  • Trustix Secure Linux 1.1.0
  • Trustix Secure Linux 1.2.0
  • Trustix Secure Linux 1.5.0
  • WireX Immunix OS 6.2.0
  • WireX Immunix OS 7.0.0
  • WireX Immunix OS 7.0.0 -Beta

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