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Date:      Mon, 30 Oct 2000 15:57:55 -0800 (PST)
From:      Dima Dorfman <dima@unixfreak.org>
To:        freebsd-security@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: FreeBSD Security Advisory: FreeBSD-SA-00:58.chpass
Message-ID:  <20001030235755.CB3A21F27@static.unixfreak.org>
In-Reply-To: <20001030231153.B618B37B4CF@hub.freebsd.org> "from FreeBSD Security Advisories at Oct 30, 2000 03:11:53 pm"

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[ PGP not available, raw data follows ]
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> 
> =============================================================================
> FreeBSD-SA-00:58                                           Security Advisory
>                                                                 FreeBSD, Inc.
> 
> Topic:          chpass family contains local root vulnerability
> 
> Category:       core
> Module:         chfn/chpass/chsh/ypchfn/ypchpass/ypchsh/passwd

Forgive my ignorance, but I fail to see how 'passwd' is vulnerable.
Yes, it does link with the affected file (pw_util.c), and calls the
affected function (pw_error()), but, as far as I can tell, it never
calls it with any parameters which can be controlled by the user.

I did a 'grep -r' in src/usr.bin and src/usr.sbin for 'pw_error', and
I found that there is a limited set of parameters for the first
argument.  They are: NULL, tempname, _PATH_MASTERPASSWD, passfile,
_PATH_PWD_MKDB, editor, and masterpasswd.  It looks like only
parameter here which can be controlled by the user is 'editor', and
'passwd' never invokes an editor, so it never has to print an error
complaining that it can't do it!

If I have overlooked something, I apologize for wasting everybody's
time, but please let me know.

Thanks in advance

-- 
Dima Dorfman <dima@unixfreak.org>


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