RHBA-2009:1686 - Bug Fix Advisory

Topic

An updated ksh package that fixes two bugs 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 includes fixes for the following bugs:

• when a ksh script included multibyte characters, ksh's script parser then

failed to parse the script and printed a "syntax error" message. This
updated package corrects this error: ksh's script parser now correctly
handles multibyte characters and no error is returned when they are found.
(BZ#543447)

• the ksh shell uses a special variable, "$!", which contains the process

ID (pid) of the last background job or background function. However, the $!
variable did not contain the correct pid when it was called within a ksh
function (defined with the "function" syntax). With this update,
referencing the $! special variable works as expected and the correct
process ID of the last background job or function is returned, even when it
is referenced from within a ksh script function. (BZ#544974)

All KornShell users are advised to upgrade to this updated package, which
resolves these issues.

Solution

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

This update is available via the 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 5.4 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for x86_64 - Extended Update Support 5.4 ia64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for x86_64 - Extended Update Support 5.4 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 5.4 s390x
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian 5 ppc
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian - Extended Update Support 5.4 ppc
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 5 i386

Fixes

• BZ - 543447 - ja_JP.UTF-8 multibyte ksh script syntax error
• BZ - 544974 - ksh does not return pid of forked commands correctly

CVEs

(none)

References

(none)