Debian Security Advisory

DSA-310-1 xaos -- improper setuid-root execution

Date Reported:
08 Jun 2003
Affected Packages:
xaos
Vulnerable:
Yes
Security database references:
In the Bugtraq database (at SecurityFocus): BugTraq ID 7838.
In Mitre's CVE dictionary: CVE-2003-0385.
More information:

XaoS, a program for displaying fractal images, is installed setuid root on certain architectures in order to use svgalib, which requires access to the video hardware. However, it is not designed for secure setuid execution, and can be exploited to gain root privileges.

In these updated packages, the setuid bit has been removed from the xaos binary. Users who require the svgalib functionality should grant these privileges only to a trusted group.

This vulnerability is exploitable in version 3.0-18 (potato) on i386 and alpha architectures, and in version 3.0-23 (woody) on the i386 architecture only.

For the stable distribution (woody) this problem has been fixed in version 3.0-23woody1.

For the old stable distribution (potato) this problem has been fixed in version 3.0-18potato1.

For the unstable distribution (sid) this problem has been fixed in version 3.1r-4.

We recommend that you update your xaos package.

Fixed in:

Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 (potato)

Source:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-18potato1.dsc
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-18potato1.diff.gz
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0.orig.tar.gz
Alpha:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-18potato1_alpha.deb
ARM:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-18potato1_arm.deb
Intel IA-32:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-18potato1_i386.deb
Motorola 680x0:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-18potato1_m68k.deb
PowerPC:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-18potato1_powerpc.deb
Sun Sparc:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-18potato1_sparc.deb

Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 (woody)

Source:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-23woody1.dsc
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-23woody1.diff.gz
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0.orig.tar.gz
Alpha:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-23woody1_alpha.deb
ARM:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-23woody1_arm.deb
Intel IA-32:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-23woody1_i386.deb
Intel IA-64:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-23woody1_ia64.deb
HPPA:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-23woody1_hppa.deb
Motorola 680x0:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-23woody1_m68k.deb
Big endian MIPS:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-23woody1_mips.deb
Little endian MIPS:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-23woody1_mipsel.deb
PowerPC:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-23woody1_powerpc.deb
IBM S/390:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-23woody1_s390.deb
Sun Sparc:
http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/x/xaos/xaos_3.0-23woody1_sparc.deb

MD5 checksums of the listed files are available in the original advisory.