RHBA-2009:1165 - Bug Fix Advisory

Topic

An updated ksh package that fixes a bug is now available.

Description

KSH-93 is the most recent version of the KornShell by David Korn of AT&T
Bell Laboratories. KornShell is a shell programming language which is also
compatible with "sh", the original Bourne Shell.

This updated ksh package fixes the following bug:

• the ksh shell's "typeset" special builtin command allows scripts to

perform nested variable assignment by providing a variable name and a value
to assign to that variable name. However, when a ksh function which
contained a nested variable was forked, the nesting counter was incorrectly
set to zero, which caused nested variables assignments to become unset.
This updated package corrects this error so that forked ksh functions have
nested variables set correctly in their child processes, thus resolving the
issue. (BZ#510712)

All users of ksh are advised to upgrade to this updated package, which
resolves this issue.

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/docs/DOC-11259

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 for x86_64 - Extended Update Support 5.3 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for x86_64 - Extended Update Support 5.3 ia64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for x86_64 - Extended Update Support 5.3 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - AUS 5.3 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - AUS 5.3 ia64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - AUS 5.3 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems 5 s390x
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems - Extended Update Support 5.3 s390x
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian 5 ppc
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian - Extended Update Support 5.3 ppc
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 5 i386

Fixes

• BZ - 510712 - ksh typeset does not assign value in an asynchronously called function

CVEs

(none)

References

(none)