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Date:      Sat, 30 Mar 2024 00:12:00 +0000
From:      Shawn Webb <shawn.webb@hardenedbsd.org>
To:        Alan Somers <asomers@freebsd.org>
Cc:        freebsd-security <freebsd-security@freebsd.org>,  Xin Li <delphij@freebsd.org>
Subject:   Re: Backdoor in xz 5.6.0
Message-ID:  <pqo5vx4ob34isiph5zwql2rsmx3kmoojyjoz6afveew4pmkmmw@c2t2vp35cqnl>
In-Reply-To: <CAOtMX2gVo6p%2BsrDJjjJRu3USDTCFrkZ0OY_TkYooUQqAP1qkjw@mail.gmail.com>
References:  <CAOtMX2gVo6p%2BsrDJjjJRu3USDTCFrkZ0OY_TkYooUQqAP1qkjw@mail.gmail.com>

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On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 05:47:51PM -0600, Alan Somers wrote:
> A malicious developer added a backdoor to xz 5.6.0 and 5.6.1, and
> snuck it into Fedora builds.  That's the same version that FreeBSD
> CURRENT uses.  For multiple reasons we aren't vulnerable (the
> malicious code isn't included in xz's git repo, only its dist
> tarballs, the malicious code is only triggered on x86_64 linux in an
> rpm or deb build, and the malicious code resides in a .m4 file which
> our build process doesn't use).  But upstream considers all of 5.6.0
> to be untrustworthy and recommends that everyone to 5.4.5.

I haven't seen any statement by upstream (the Tukaani project), yet.
The bad actor has enjoyed a maintainership role for the xz project for
at least one-and-a-half years (since 2022).

We might experience another "OpenSSL Heartbleed" reactionary moment
whereby the entire project is audited. Until then, some folks would
not consider it over-reactionary to distrust any work since the bad
actor started contributing. This would apply to other projects the bad
actor contributed to as well, like libarchive.

Thanks,

--=20
Shawn Webb
Cofounder / Security Engineer
HardenedBSD

Tor-ified Signal: +1 303-901-1600 / shawn_webb_opsec.50
https://git.hardenedbsd.org/hardenedbsd/pubkeys/-/raw/master/Shawn_Webb/03A=
4CBEBB82EA5A67D9F3853FF2E67A277F8E1FA.pub.asc

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