[ GLSA 200408-17 ] rsync: Potential information leakage

[GLSA]

Gentoo Linux Security Advisory

Title: rsync: Potential information leakage (GLSA 200408-17)
Severity: normal
Exploitable: remote
Date: August 17, 2004
Updated: May 22, 2006
Bug(s): #60309
ID: 200408-17

Synopsis


rsync fails to properly sanitize paths. This vulnerability could allow the
listing of arbitrary files and allow file overwriting outside module's path
on rsync server configurations that allow uploading.


Background


rsync is a utility that provides fast incremental file transfers. It is
used to efficiently synchronize files between hosts and is used by
emerge to fetch Gentoo's Portage tree. rsyncd is the rsync daemon,
which listens to connections from rsync clients.


Affected Packages

Package: net-misc/rsync
Vulnerable: <= 2.6.0-r2
Unaffected: >= 2.6.0-r3
Architectures: All supported architectures


Description


The paths sent by the rsync client are not checked thoroughly enough.
It does not affect the normal send/receive filenames that specify what
files should be transferred. It does affect certain option paths that
cause auxilliary files to be read or written.


Impact


When rsyncd is used without chroot ("use chroot = false" in the
rsyncd.conf file), this vulnerability could allow the listing of
arbitrary files outside module's path and allow file overwriting
outside module's path on rsync server configurations that allows
uploading. Both possibilities are exposed only when chroot option is
disabled.


Workaround


You should never set the rsync daemon to run with "use chroot = false".


Resolution


All users should update to the latest version of the rsync package.