gettext: Insecure temporary file handling

1. Gentoo Linux Security Advisory

Advisory Reference	GLSA 200410-10 / gettext
Release Date	October 10, 2004
Latest Revision	May 22, 2006: 04
Impact	low
Exploitable	local

Package	Vulnerable versions	Unaffected versions	Architecture(s)
sys-devel/gettext	< 0.14.1-r1	>= 0.14.1-r1, revision >= 0.12.1-r2	All supported architectures

Related bugreports: #66355, #85766

Synopsis

The gettext utility is vulnerable to symlink attacks, potentially allowing a local user to overwrite or change permissions on arbitrary files with the rights of the user running gettext, which could be the root user.

2. Impact Information

Background

gettext is a set of utilities for the GNU Translation Project which provides a set of tools and documentation to help produce multi-lingual messages in programs.

Description

gettext insecurely 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 gettext is called, this would result in file access with the rights of the user running the utility, which could be the root user.

3. Resolution Information

Workaround

There is no known workaround at this time.

Resolution

All gettext users should upgrade to the latest version:

Code Listing 3.1: Resolution

# emerge --sync
# emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose ">=sys-devel/gettext-0.14.1-r1"

4. References

Updated October 10, 2004

Summary: This is a Gentoo Linux Security Advisory

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