- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gentoo Linux Security Advisory GLSA 200810-02 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - http://security.gentoo.org/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Severity: High Title: Portage: Untrusted search path local root vulnerability Date: October 09, 2008 Bugs: #239560 ID: 200810-02 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Synopsis ======== A search path vulnerability in Portage allows local attackers to execute commands with root privileges if emerge is called from untrusted directories. Background ========== Portage is Gentoo's package manager which is responsible for installing, compiling and updating all packages on the system through the Gentoo rsync tree. Affected packages ================= ------------------------------------------------------------------- Package / Vulnerable / Unaffected ------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 sys-apps/portage < 2.1.4.5 >= 2.1.4.5 Description =========== The Gentoo Security Team discovered that several ebuilds, such as sys-apps/portage, net-mail/fetchmail or app-editors/leo execute Python code using "python -c", which includes the current working directory in Python's module search path. For several ebuild functions, Portage did not change the working directory from emerge's working directory. Impact ====== A local attacker could place a specially crafted Python module in a directory (such as /tmp) and entice the root user to run commands such as "emerge sys-apps/portage" from that directory, resulting in the execution of arbitrary Python code with root privileges. Workaround ========== Do not run "emerge" from untrusted working directories. Resolution ========== All Portage users should upgrade to the latest version: # cd /root # emerge --sync # emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose ">=sys-apps/portage-2.1.4.5" NOTE: To upgrade to Portage 2.1.4.5 using 2.1.4.4 or prior, you must run emerge from a trusted working directory, such as "/root". References ========== [ 1 ] CVE-2008-4394 http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2008-4394 Availability ============ This GLSA and any updates to it are available for viewing at the Gentoo Security Website: http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200810-02.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 2008 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