[ GLSA 200502-09 ] Python: Arbitrary code execution through SimpleXMLRPCServer

[GLSA]

Gentoo Linux Security Advisory

Title: Python: Arbitrary code execution through SimpleXMLRPCServer (GLSA 200502-09)
Severity: high
Exploitable: remote
Date: February 08, 2005
Bug(s): #80592
ID: 200502-09

Synopsis

Python-based XML-RPC servers may be vulnerable to remote execution of arbitrary code.

Background

Python is an interpreted, interactive, object-oriented, cross-platform programming language.

Affected Packages

Package: dev-lang/python
Vulnerable: <= 2.3.4
Unaffected: >= 2.3.4-r1
Unaffected: >= 2.3.3-r2 < 2.3.4
Unaffected: >= 2.2.3-r6 < 2.2.4
Architectures: All supported architectures


Description

Graham Dumpleton discovered that XML-RPC servers making use of the SimpleXMLRPCServer library that use the register_instance() method to register an object without a _dispatch() method are vulnerable to a flaw allowing to read or modify globals of the associated module.

Impact

A remote attacker may be able to exploit the flaw in such XML-RPC servers to execute arbitrary code on the server host with the rights of the XML-RPC server.

Workaround

Python users that don't make use of any SimpleXMLRPCServer-based XML-RPC servers, or making use of servers using only the register_function() method are not affected.

Resolution

All Python users should upgrade to the latest version: