RHSA-2003:399 - Security Advisory

Topic

Updated rsync packages are now available that fix a heap overflow in the
Rsync server.

Description

rsync is a program for sychronizing files over the network.

A heap overflow bug exists in rsync versions prior to 2.5.7. On machines
where the rsync server has been enabled, a remote attacker could use this
flaw to execute arbitrary code as an unprivileged user. The Common
Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name
CAN-2003-0962 to this issue.

All users should upgrade to these erratum packages containing version
2.5.7 of rsync, which is not vulnerable to this issue.

NOTE: The rsync server is disabled (off) by default in Red Hat Enterprise
Linux. To check if the rsync server has been enabled (on), run the
following command:

/sbin/chkconfig --list rsync

If the rsync server has been enabled but is not required, it can be
disabled by running the following command as root:

/sbin/chkconfig rsync off

Red Hat would like to thank the rsync team for their rapid response and
quick fix for this issue.

Solution

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

To update all RPMs for your particular architecture, run:

rpm -Fvh [filenames]

where [filenames] is a list of the RPMs you wish to upgrade. Only those
RPMs which are currently installed will be updated. Those RPMs which are
not installed but included in the list will not be updated. Note that you
can also use wildcards (*.rpm) if your current directory *only* contains the
desired RPMs.

Please note that this update is also available via Red Hat Network. Many
people find this an easier way to apply updates. To use Red Hat Network,
launch the Red Hat Update Agent with the following command:

up2date

This will start an interactive process that will result in the appropriate
RPMs being upgraded on your system.

If up2date fails to connect to Red Hat Network due to SSL Certificate
Errors, you need to install a version of the up2date client with an updated
certificate. The latest version of up2date is available from the Red Hat
FTP site and may also be downloaded directly from the RHN website:

https://rhn.redhat.com/help/latest-up2date.pxt

Affected Products

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 3 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 3 ia64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 3 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 2 ia64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 2 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 3 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 3 ia64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 3 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 2 ia64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 2 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems 3 s390x
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems 3 s390
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian 3 ppc

Fixes

• BZ - 111474 - CAN-2003-0962 rsync remote exploit

CVEs

• CVE-2003-0962

References

• http://rsync.samba.org/