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- **************************************************************************
- Security Bulletin 9315 DISA Defense Communications System
- August 9, 1993 Published by: DDN Security Coordination Center
- (SCC@NIC.DDN.MIL) 1-(800) 365-3642
-
- DEFENSE DATA NETWORK
- SECURITY BULLETIN
-
- The DDN SECURITY BULLETIN is distributed by the DDN SCC (Security
- Coordination Center) under DISA contract as a means of communicating
- information on network and host security exposures, fixes, and concerns
- to security and management personnel at DDN facilities. Back issues may
- be obtained via FTP (or Kermit) from NIC.DDN.MIL [192.112.36.5]
- using login="anonymous" and password="guest". The bulletin pathname is
- scc/ddn-security-yynn (where "yy" is the year the bulletin is issued
- and "nn" is a bulletin number, e.g. scc/ddn-security-9302).
- **************************************************************************
-
- ===========================================================================
- + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +
- ! !
- ! The following important advisory was issued by the Computer !
- ! Emergency Response Team (CERT) and is being relayed unedited !
- ! via the Defense Information Systems Agency's Security !
- ! Coordination Center distribution system as a means of !
- ! providing DDN subscribers with useful security information. !
- ! !
- + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +
- CA-93:11 CERT Advisory
- August 9, 1993
- UMN UNIX gopher and gopher+ Vulnerabilities
-
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- The CERT Coordination Center has received information concerning
- vulnerabilities in versions of the UMN UNIX gopher and gopher+ server and
- client available before August 6, 1993. Vulnerable versions were available on
- boombox.micro.umn.edu:/pub/gopher/Unix/gopher1.12s.tar.Z,
- boombox.micro.umn.edu:/pub/gopher/Unix/gopher2.03.tar.Z, and many other
- anonymous FTP sites mirroring these software versions.
-
- We strongly recommend that any site using versions of UMN UNIX gopher
- and gopher+ dated prior to August 6, 1993 (including version 1.12, 1.12s,
- 2.0+, 2.03, and all earlier versions) immediately take corrective action.
-
- If you have further questions regarding UMN UNIX gopher or gopher+ software,
- send e-mail to: gopher@boombox.micro.umn.edu
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- I. Description
-
- Several vulnerabilities have been identified in UMN UNIX gopher and
- gopher+ when configured as a server or public access client.
-
- Intruders are known to have exploited these vulnerabilities to obtain
- password files. Other actions may also have been taken by intruders
- exploiting these vulnerabilities. CERT has already contacted those
- sites currently known to have been victims of these activities. However,
- sites may want to check for weak passwords, or consider changing
- passwords, after installing the new gopher software.
-
- II. Impact
-
- Anyone (remote or local) can potentially gain unrestricted access
- to the account running the public access client, thereby permitting
- them to read any files accessible to this account (possibly including
- /etc/passwd or other sensitive files).
-
- In certain configurations, anyone (remote or local) can potentially
- gain access to any account, including root, on a host configured as a
- server running gopherd.
-
- III. Solution
-
- Affected sites should consider disabling gopherd service and public gopher
- logins until they have installed the new software.
-
- New versions of the UMN UNIX gopher and gopher+ software have been
- released that provide bug fixes and correct these security problems.
- Sites can obtain these new versions via anonymous FTP from
- boombox.micro.umn.edu (134.84.132.2). The files are located in:
-
- Filename Size Checksum
- -------- ------ -----------
- Gopher:
- /pub/gopher/Unix/gopher1.12S.tar.Z 306872 46311 300
- Gopher+:
- /pub/gopher/Unix/gopher2.04.tar.Z 294872 29411 288
-
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- The CERT Coordination Center wishes to thank Matt Schroth, Williams College,
- and others for informing us of these vulnerabilities. We would also like to
- thank Paul Lindner, University of Minnesota, for his quick response to these
- problems.
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- If you believe that your system has been compromised, contact the CERT
- Coordination Center or your representative in FIRST (Forum of Incident
- Response and Security Teams).
-
- Internet E-mail: cert@cert.org
- Telephone: 412-268-7090 (24-hour hotline)
- CERT personnel answer 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. EST(GMT-5)/EDT(GMT-4),
- and are on call for emergencies during other hours.
-
- CERT Coordination Center
- Software Engineering Institute
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
-
- Past advisories, information about FIRST representatives, and other information
- related to computer security are available for anonymous FTP from cert.org
- (192.88.209.5).
-
-
- ****************************************************************************
- * *
- * The point of contact for MILNET security-related incidents is the *
- * Security Coordination Center (SCC). *
- * *
- * E-mail address: SCC@NIC.DDN.MIL *
- * *
- * Telephone: 1-(800)-365-3642 *
- * *
- * NIC Help Desk personnel are available from 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. EST, *
- * Monday through Friday except on federal holidays. *
- * *
- ****************************************************************************
-