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CERT^® Advisory CA-1994-03 IBM AIX Performance Tools Vulnerabilities

Original issue date: February 24, 1994
Last revised: September 19, 1997
Updated copyright statement

A complete revision history is at the end of this file.

The CERT Coordination Center has received information concerning vulnerabilities in the "bosext1.extcmds.obj" Licensed Program Product (performance tools). These problems exist on IBM AIX 3.2.4 systems that have Program Temporary Fixes (PTFs) U420020 or U422510 installed and on all AIX 3.2.5 systems.

CERT recommends that affected sites apply the workaround provided in section III below.

I. Description

Vulnerabilities exist in the bosext1.extcmds.obj performance tools in AIX 3.2.5 and in those AIX 3.2.4 systems with Program Temporary Fixes (PTFs) U420020 or U422510 installed. These problems do not exist in earlier versions of AIX.

II. Impact

Local users can gain unauthorized root access to the system.

III. Workaround

A. The recommended workaround is to change the permissions of all the programs in the /usr/lpp/bosperf directory structure

so that the setuid bit is removed and the programs can be executed only by 'root'. This can be accomplished as follows:

                % su root

                # chmod -R u-s,og= /usr/lpp/bosperf/*

The programs affected by this workaround include: filemon, fileplace, genkex, genkld, genld, lvedit, netpmon, rmap, rmss, stripnm, svmon, tprof

As a result of this workaround, these programs will no longer be executable by users other than 'root'.

B. Patches for these problems can be ordered as Authorized Program Analysis Report (APAR) IX42332.

To order an APAR from IBM call 1-800-237-5511 and ask for shipment as soon as it is available. APARs may be obtained outside the U.S. by contacting your local IBM representative.

Any further information that we receive on APAR IX42332 will be available by anonymous FTP in the file pub/cert_advisories/CA-94.03.README on ftp.cert.org.

The CERT Coordination Center wishes to thank Jill K. Bowyer of USAF/DISA for reporting this problem and IBM for their prompt response to this problem.

This document is available from: http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-1994-03.html

CERT/CC Contact Information

Email: cert@cert.org
Phone: +1 412-268-7090 (24-hour hotline)
Fax: +1 412-268-6989
Postal address:

CERT Coordination Center
Software Engineering Institute
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh PA 15213-3890
U.S.A.

CERT/CC personnel answer the hotline 08:00-17:00 EST(GMT-5) / EDT(GMT-4) Monday through Friday; they are on call for emergencies during other hours, on U.S. holidays, and on weekends.

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http://www.cert.org/CERT_PGP.key

If you prefer to use DES, please call the CERT hotline for more information.

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http://www.cert.org/

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Revision History

September 19,1997  Updated Copyright Statement

CERT® Advisory CA-1994-03 IBM AIX Performance Tools Vulnerabilities