RHBA-2009:0116 - Bug Fix Advisory

Topic

Updated bash packages that resolve several issues are now available.

Description

Bash is the default shell for Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

These updated bash packages provide fixes for the following bugs:

• the NISPOM, DCID 6/3, and PCI security standards all call for the ability

to monitor the actions of the root user. The bash shell now supports this
auditing, though by default it is turned off.

• the builtin bash command 'fc' incorrectly handled the last command.

Calling 'fc -1' now correctly refers to the last command instead of the
penultimate one.

• the bash(1) man page has been updated to clarify the usages of the

'continue', 'break, 'suspend' and 'fg' builtins.

• the bash(1) man page has been updated to correctly describe the behavior

of the "%-" job specification operator, which always refers to the previous
job except when there is only one current job.

• certain scripts which used bash's arithmetic operations returned an

incorrect result, and caused further arithmetic operations to be ignored,
silently. This has been fixed in these updated packages.

All users of bash are advised to upgrade to these updated packages, which
resolve these issues.

Solution

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

This update is available via Red Hat Network. Details on how to use
the Red Hat Network to apply this update are available at
http://kbase.redhat.com/faq/FAQ_58_10188

Affected Products

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 ia64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems 5 s390x
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian 5 ppc
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 5 i386

Fixes

• BZ - 235021 - Changes to bash for auditing
• BZ - 438841 - "fc -e 'edit' -1" edits wrong command
• BZ - 446625 - manpage update for job specifications
• BZ - 453123 - [REGRESSION] Wrong input confuses bash's arithmetic unit permanently
• BZ - 453409 - man page alteration for suspend command

CVEs

(none)

References

(none)