[UNIX] Dangerous Temp File Creation During Netscape 6 Installation

From: support@securiteam.com
Date: 09/01/01 

From: support@securiteam.com
To: list@securiteam.com
Subject: [UNIX] Dangerous Temp File Creation During Netscape 6 Installation
Message-Id: <20010901171822.21A57138BF@mail.der-keiler.de>
Date: Sat,  1 Sep 2001 19:18:22 +0200 (CEST)

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  Dangerous Temp File Creation During Netscape 6 Installation
------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY

A security flaw in the way Netscape 6 installs on UNIX machines allows
local users to overwrite any other system file whenever the installation
process is done by the root user.

DETAILS

Vulnerable systems:
Netscape version 6.01a (Solaris)

During installation of Netscape 6.01a for Solaris 2.7/8 Sparc, the file
/tmp/admin.3842 is created with mode 644. If this package is installed by
root in multi-user mode, a malicious user could use this to overwrite
system files etc.

Here is the dangerous code:

# grep tmp ns6install
cat >/tmp/admin.$$ <<EOF
                        /usr/sbin/pkgrm -n -a /tmp/admin.$$ ${pkg}.* 2>&1
        /usr/sbin/pkgadd -n -a /tmp/admin.$$ -d `pwd` $pkg 2>&1
#

Workaround:
A temporary workaround would be to shut the system down into single user
mode, clean out /tmp and then install.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The information has been provided by <mailto:lwc@Vapid.dhs.org> Larry W.
Cashdollar.

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