Synopsis

file bug fix update

Type/Severity

Bug Fix Advisory

Topic

Updated file packages that fix various bugs are now available for Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 5.

Description

The File utility is used to identify a particular file according to the type of
data contained in the file.

This update fixes the following bugs:

• Previously, the file utility always checked a section of the core file which

was only used by FreeBSD when looking up command names. As a consequence, an
incorrect command name could be reported. This update checks this offset only if
the core file was generated on a FreeBSD plattfrom. Now, the file utility
displays the correct file name. (BZ#486328)

• Previously, the file utility did not correctly recognize file system dumps

generated by the "dump" utility on PowerPC and IBM System z platforms which were
wrongly identified as a "JVT NAL" sequence. This update modifies the order of
the magic patterns. Now, the file utility correctly identifies these dumps.
(BZ#489493)

• Previously, the Note field stored in Executable and Linkable Format (ELF)

binaries was wrongly processed twice. As a consequence, the message "for
GNU/Linux X.Y.Z" was displayed twice for certain binary files. This update
modifies the process. Now, the Note field is processed only once. (BZ#494831)

• Previously, the definition for the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions

(MIME) type "XML" was missing in the magic file. As a consequence, the MIME type
for XML files was not displayed. This update adds this MIME type to the magic
file. (BZ#498671)

• Previously, the file utility did not recognize the swap file system on PowerPC

platforms. Now, a new magic pattern for swap on PowerPC platforms is added and
the file utility now identifies the swapspace correctly. (BZ#504417)

• Previously, the "msword" MIME type was listed two times in DOC/XLS magic

patterns. As a consequence, the "application/msword" MIME type was displayed
twice for certain Microsoft Office 2007 files. Now, the second MIME type
definition is removed. (BZ#505656)

• Previously, the magic pattern for detecting the PPD files did not work as

expected. As a consequence, the file utility truncated the "version" string of
certain PPD files. This update displays the "version" string correctly and no
longer truncates the version number. (BZ#508688)

• Previously, the manual page did not mention that a 0 exit code was returned

when input files were not found. This update adds the missing information to the
manual page. (BZ#548450)

• Previously, the file utility always attempted to read complete files from

stdin to get additional information about ELF binary even when the file was not
an ELF binary. As a consequence, the process used a large amount of memory and
took a long time. This update detects if a file is an ELF binary using the ELF
magic bytes and reads the complete file only when the file is an ELF binary.
(BZ#618910)

• Previously, the file utility could wrongly recognize gzip files as FLC files.

This update changes the order of gzip and FLC magic patterns. Now, the file
utility identifies gzip files correctly. (BZ#641838)

• Previously, the GFS1 and GFS2 file systems shared the same magic number in the

superblock which the file utility used to identify the GFS2 file system. As a
consequence, the file utility wrongly recognized GFS2 file systems as GFS1 file
systems. This update adds a new magic pattern for the GFS2 file system. Now, the
file utility identifies GFS2 correctly. (BZ#668125)

• Previously, two magic patterns for XML identification were wrongly merged into

one. As a consequence, the file utility could not identify the MIME type for XML
files starting with "?xml". This update splits these two patterns. Now, the
correct MIME type is displayed. (BZ#692435)

• Previously, the file utility could wrongly recognize JPEG files as Minix file

systems. This update changes the order of JPEG and Minix magic patterns. Now the
file utility recognizes JPEG files correctly. (BZ#758429)

All users of the file utility are advised to upgrade to these updated packages,
which fix these bugs.

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
https://access.redhat.com/kb/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 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 - 486328 - Incorrect command name from the core file
• BZ - 489493 - file on ppc/s390x is unable to correctly identify files created by dump
• BZ - 494831 - file displays "for GNU/Linux 2.6.9" message twice
• BZ - 498671 - file utility does not produce MIME type for XML files
• BZ - 504417 - file -s is not able to detect swap signature on ppc
• BZ - 505656 - File -i produces strange results for MS Office 2007 files.
• BZ - 508688 - noncomplete output of file executable
• BZ - 548450 - the file command returns zero exit code even in case of unexisting file being tested
• BZ - 618910 - /usr/bin/lesspipe.sh performance on huge files
• BZ - 641838 - file(1) mis-handle gzip file as FLC file.
• BZ - 668125 - File identifies GFS2 filesystems as GFS1 filesystems
• BZ - 751030 - File does not correctly identify a linux kernel image
• BZ - 751032 - file doesn't properly detect RPM architectures
• BZ - 758429 - file command incorrectly identifies a JPEG file as being a Minix filesystem

CVEs

(none)

References

(none)