[ GLSA 200410-19 ] glibc: Insecure tempfile handling in catchsegv script

[GLSA]

Gentoo Linux Security Advisory

Title: glibc: Insecure tempfile handling in catchsegv script (GLSA 200410-19)
Severity: normal
Exploitable: local
Date: October 21, 2004
Bug(s): #66358
ID: 200410-19

Synopsis

The catchsegv script in the glibc package is vulnerable to symlink attacks, potentially allowing a local user to overwrite arbitrary files with the rights of the user running the script.

Background

glibc is a package that contains the GNU C library.

Affected Packages

Package: sys-libs/glibc
Vulnerable: <= 2.3.4.20040808
Unaffected: >= 2.2.5-r9 < 2.2.6
Unaffected: >= 2.3.2-r12 < 2.3.3
Unaffected: >= 2.3.3.20040420-r2 < 2.3.3.20040421
Unaffected: >= 2.3.4.20040619-r2 < 2.3.4.20040620
Unaffected: >= 2.3.4.20040808-r1
Architectures: All supported architectures


Description

The catchsegv script creates temporary files in world-writeable directories with predictable names.

Impact

A local attacker could create symbolic links in the temporary files directory, pointing to a valid file somewhere on the filesystem. When catchsegv script is called, this would result in the file being overwritten with the rights of the user running the utility, which could be the root user.

Workaround

There is no known workaround at this time.

Resolution

All glibc users should upgrade to the latest version: