-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- =============================================================================== Security Advisory CERT-NL =============================================================================== Author/Source : Egon Verharen Index : S-98-53 Distribution : World Page : 1 Classification: External Version: 1 Subject : Buffer Overflow in MIME-aware Mail and News Clients Date : 11-Aug-98 =============================================================================== By courtesy of CERT Coordination Center we received the following information. CERT Coordination Center advisory CA-98.10.mime_buffer_overflows reports a vulnerability in some MIME-aware mail and news clients. This vulnerability could allow an intruder to execute arbitrary code, crash the system, or gain administrative rights on vulnerable systems. The vulnerability has been discovered by Marko Laakso and Ari Takanen of the Secure Programming Group of the University of Oulu. It has received considerable public attention in the media and through reports published by Microsoft, Netscape, AUSCERT, CIAC, NTBugTraq, and others. The vulnerability affects a number of mail and news clients in addition to the ones which have been the subjects of those reports. This advisory provides information and links to patches of affected mail and news user agents (app.A) and information how to reduce the risk by modifying mail transfer agents to detect the vulnerability before it reaches the mail user agent, or by filtering the message (app.B). CERT-NL recommends to obtain and install a patch for this problem as described in Appendix A of the advisory. Until you are able to install the appropriate patch, you may wish to install patches to sendmail or to use procmail filtering as described in Appendix B of the advisory. All CERT Coordination Center advisories are mirrored by CERT-NL. The specific URL for this case is: ADVISORIES ARE REGULARLY UPDATED BY CERT COORDINATION CENTER. Therefore we advise you to check on our mirror regularly - you can automate this process using the CERT-NL notifier service. More information about the CERT-NL mirror and notifier services is contained in News items N-95-01 (notifier) and N-95-02 (CERT mirror), both present on ============================================================================== CERT-NL is the Computer Emergency Response Team for SURFnet customers. SURFnet is the Dutch network for educational, research and related institutes. CERT-NL is a member of the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST). All CERT-NL material is available under: http://www.surfnet.nl/surfnet/security/cert-nl.html ftp://ftp.surfnet.nl/surfnet/net-security In case of computer or network security problems please contact your local CERT/security-team or CERT-NL (if your institute is NOT a SURFnet customer please address the appropriate (local) CERT/security-team). CERT-NL is one/two hour(s) ahead of UTC (GMT) in winter/summer, i.e. UTC+0100 in winter and UTC+0200 in summer (DST). Email: cert-nl@surfnet.nl ATTENDED REGULARLY ALL DAYS Phone: +31 302 305 305 BUSINESS HOURS ONLY Fax: +31 302 305 329 BUSINESS HOURS ONLY Snailmail: SURFnet bv Attn. CERT-NL P.O. Box 19035 NL - 3501 DA UTRECHT The Netherlands NOODGEVALLEN: 06 52 87 92 82 ALTIJD BEREIKBAAR EMERGENCIES : +31 6 52 87 92 82 ATTENDED AT ALL TIMES CERT-NL'S EMERGENCY PHONENUMBER IS ONLY TO BE USED IN CASE OF EMERGENCIES: THE SURFNET HELPDESK OPERATING THE EMERGENCY NUMBER HAS A *FIXED* PROCEDURE FOR DEALING WITH YOUR ALERT AND WILL IN REGULAR CASES RELAY IT TO CERT-NL IN AN APPROPRIATE MANNER. CERT-NL WILL THEN CONTACT YOU. ============================================================================== -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGP for Business Security 5.5 iQCVAwUBNdCL/VpSTqmIRWKVAQFM7gP/bzji12JA0DovZNUbFfxsynm48PSWl1dE qzz2HA4PnAmbrgMUlUkyFgf65O1480f3lRo7UmkhkOucXcGYoHRKZz7Ep+UQ5JvV xVrD2P9HP2GgHUYZpDlvt1QoPANFYzOEmse6tKH78Drx2DfcUTS+CP9UdDKMmZHK 5SWFQ53BrNg= =lb4+ -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----