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DOE-CIRC TECHNICAL BULLETIN

T-243: Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenSSH 'ChrootDirectory' Option Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

[CVE-2009-2904]

October 1, 2009 14:00 GMT

PROBLEM: A vulnerability was reported in OpenSSH on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. A remote authenticated user can obtain elevated privileges on the target system.
PLATFORM: Red Hat Enterprise Linux (v. 5 server) Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop (v. 5 client) Red Hat Enterprise Linux EUS (v. 5.4.z server)
ABSTRACT: The Red Hat openssh patch described in Red Hat Advisory RHSA-2009:1287, modified ownership requirements for directories used as arguments for the ChrootDirectory configuration options. A remote authenticated user with a non-chroot shell access or a remote authenticated user that previously had a non-chroot shell access can run arbitrary commands with arbitrary privileges.

LINKS:  
  DOE-CIRC BULLETIN: http://www.doecirc.energy.gov/bulletins/t-243.shtml
  OTHER LINKS: Security Focus
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/36552/info
Security Tracker
http://www.securitytracker.com/alerts/2009/Sep/1022967.html

  CVE: CVE-2009-2904

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: This risk is medium. A remote authenticated user can obtain elevated privileges on the target system.

[***** Start CVE-2009-2904 *****]
Discussion:
OpenSSH is OpenBSD's SSH (Secure Shell) protocol implementation. These
packages include the core files necessary for both the OpenSSH client and
server.

A Red Hat specific patch used in the openssh packages as shipped in Red
Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4 (RHSA-2009:1287) loosened certain ownership
requirements for directories used as arguments for the ChrootDirectory
configuration options. A malicious user that also has or previously had
non-chroot shell access to a system could possibly use this flaw to
escalate their privileges and run commands as any system user.

Solution:
The vendor has released a patch to resolve this issue.  See below for details.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (v. 5 server)

SRPMS:
openssh-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.src.rpm		    ff14a4ab0ae5ad7ffdddef280c323d88
 
IA-32:
openssh-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.i386.rpm 	    	    c4f9f9a8850bba515c94e07c90e0a6b6

openssh-askpass-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.i386.rpm 	    cadce6d50d8243e6e9e984ab0e25e970

openssh-clients-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.i386.rpm 	    5e852bbb05c7a5c3c3384666401b9f75

openssh-server-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.i386.rpm 	    3f8dbf62305e07513bb5e303faf30930
 
IA-64:
openssh-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ia64.rpm		    db1b730c842bffa66d225391e0a3a288

openssh-askpass-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ia64.rpm 	    ed2d15b5c5c2585bb1c55255887fb505

openssh-clients-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ia64.rpm 	    f38174b2adf224273550d29911c3e311

openssh-server-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ia64.rpm 	    aa6a156e4c1f1a203043961ff2fdf588
 
PPC:
openssh-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ppc.rpm		    1b0ad6a5b4084db5611fa59997adace1

openssh-askpass-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ppc.rpm 	    849d9d34593e64607d8828b3d94512b8

openssh-clients-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ppc.rpm 	    55ec7577db379a69d18ee6f2dd6aac0c

openssh-server-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ppc.rpm 	    9bbb25b2625e7cc69d127e4d67fcd0b8
 
s390x:
openssh-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.s390x.rpm		    911fe40f6bbf61ea91c134ad69311ceb

openssh-askpass-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.s390x.rpm 	    fc21e3d50ae36de48e6c9075eecc62f9

openssh-clients-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.s390x.rpm 	    17ab5e824eac23f811b1ab1a8e8a4283

openssh-server-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.s390x.rpm 	    ba6b3eacacee3cbe54d5eec9e39115e2
 
x86_64:
openssh-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.x86_64.rpm		    a5c6d4af3030d48c88a02418cbfa81b9

openssh-askpass-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.x86_64.rpm 	    0b56f6c35f610c4105d030ef424b6f33

openssh-clients-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.x86_64.rpm 	    8ef442b49c8228ca38bc53ad8cc35b05

openssh-server-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.x86_64.rpm 	    0a3ed69d32a387b07b549925e1f50601

 
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop (v. 5 client)

SRPMS:
openssh-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.src.rpm		    ff14a4ab0ae5ad7ffdddef280c323d88
 
IA-32:
openssh-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.i386.rpm		    c4f9f9a8850bba515c94e07c90e0a6b6

openssh-askpass-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.i386.rpm 	    cadce6d50d8243e6e9e984ab0e25e970

openssh-clients-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.i386.rpm 	    5e852bbb05c7a5c3c3384666401b9f75

openssh-server-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.i386.rpm 	    3f8dbf62305e07513bb5e303faf30930
 
x86_64:
openssh-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.x86_64.rpm		    a5c6d4af3030d48c88a02418cbfa81b9

openssh-askpass-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.x86_64.rpm 	    0b56f6c35f610c4105d030ef424b6f33

openssh-clients-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.x86_64.rpm 	    8ef442b49c8228ca38bc53ad8cc35b05

openssh-server-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.x86_64.rpm 	    0a3ed69d32a387b07b549925e1f50601


 
Red Hat Enterprise Linux EUS (v. 5.4.z server)

SRPMS:
openssh-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.src.rpm		    ff14a4ab0ae5ad7ffdddef280c323d88
 
IA-32:
openssh-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.i386.rpm		    c4f9f9a8850bba515c94e07c90e0a6b6

openssh-askpass-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.i386.rpm 	    cadce6d50d8243e6e9e984ab0e25e970

openssh-clients-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.i386.rpm 	    5e852bbb05c7a5c3c3384666401b9f75

openssh-server-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.i386.rpm 	    3f8dbf62305e07513bb5e303faf30930
 
IA-64:
openssh-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ia64.rpm		    db1b730c842bffa66d225391e0a3a288

openssh-askpass-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ia64.rpm 	    ed2d15b5c5c2585bb1c55255887fb505

openssh-clients-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ia64.rpm 	    f38174b2adf224273550d29911c3e311

openssh-server-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ia64.rpm 	    aa6a156e4c1f1a203043961ff2fdf588
 
PPC:
openssh-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ppc.rpm		    1b0ad6a5b4084db5611fa59997adace1

openssh-askpass-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ppc.rpm 	    849d9d34593e64607d8828b3d94512b8

openssh-clients-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ppc.rpm 	    55ec7577db379a69d18ee6f2dd6aac0c

openssh-server-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.ppc.rpm 	    9bbb25b2625e7cc69d127e4d67fcd0b8
 
s390x:
openssh-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.s390x.rpm		    911fe40f6bbf61ea91c134ad69311ceb

openssh-askpass-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.s390x.rpm 	    fc21e3d50ae36de48e6c9075eecc62f9

openssh-clients-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.s390x.rpm 	    17ab5e824eac23f811b1ab1a8e8a4283

openssh-server-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.s390x.rpm 	    ba6b3eacacee3cbe54d5eec9e39115e2
 
x86_64:
openssh-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.x86_64.rpm		    a5c6d4af3030d48c88a02418cbfa81b9

openssh-askpass-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.x86_64.rpm 	    0b56f6c35f610c4105d030ef424b6f33

openssh-clients-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.x86_64.rpm 	    8ef442b49c8228ca38bc53ad8cc35b05

openssh-server-4.3p2-36.el5_4.2.x86_64.rpm 	    0a3ed69d32a387b07b549925e1f50601
 

The packages above are available at the Red Hat Network:
http://rhn.redhat.com/

[***** End CVE-2009-2904 *****]

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