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Gentoo Linux Security Advisory                           GLSA 200901-14
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                                            http://security.gentoo.org/
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  Severity: Normal
     Title: Scilab: Insecure temporary file usage
      Date: January 21, 2009
      Bugs: #245922
        ID: 200901-14

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Synopsis
========

An insecure temporary file usage has been reported in Scilab, allowing
for symlink attacks.

Background
==========

Scilab is a scientific software package for numerical computations.

Affected packages
=================

    -------------------------------------------------------------------
     Package                 /  Vulnerable  /               Unaffected
    -------------------------------------------------------------------
  1  sci-mathematics/scilab     < 4.1.2-r1                 >= 4.1.2-r1

Description
===========

Dmitry E. Oboukhov reported an insecure temporary file usage within the
scilink, scidoc and scidem scripts.

Impact
======

A local attacker could perform symlink attacks to overwrite arbitrary
files with the privileges of the user running the application.

Workaround
==========

There is no known workaround at this time.

Resolution
==========

All Scilab users should upgrade to the latest version:

 # emerge --sync
 # emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose ">=sci-mathematics/scilab-4.1.2-r1"

References
==========

  [ 1 ] CVE-2008-4983
        http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2008-4983

Availability
============

This GLSA and any updates to it are available for viewing at
the Gentoo Security Website:

  http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200901-14.xml

Concerns?
=========

Security is a primary focus of Gentoo Linux and ensuring the
confidentiality and security of our users machines is of utmost
importance to us. Any security concerns should be addressed to
security@gentoo.org or alternatively, you may file a bug at
http://bugs.gentoo.org.

License
=======

Copyright 2009 Gentoo Foundation, Inc; referenced text
belongs to its owner(s).

The contents of this document are licensed under the
Creative Commons - Attribution / Share Alike license.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5