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There is a remotely exploitable security hole in Sun Microsystems’ Cobalt RaQ 4 server appliances, and the CERT Coordination Center
warned Thursday that the exploitation could lead to code execution with superuser
privileges.
CERT Thursday warned of a remotely exploitable security hole in Sun Microsystems’ Cobalt RaQ 4 server appliances. Exploitation of this hole could lead to code execution with superuser privileges.
A security
advisory from CERT/CC warned of the vulnerability in Cobalt RaQ 4
servers running Sun’s Security Hardening Package (SHP) and recommended
server administrators apply vendor patches immediately. Alternatively,
admins are urged to block access to the administrative httpd server
(typically ports 81/TCP and 444/TCP) at the network perimeter.
Sun confirmed the remote root exploit if the SHP is installed (it does
not install by default but many users choose to install it) and issued instructions on how to remove the flawed SHP patch.
The vulnerability was detected in a CGI script that did not properly filter input on the server. CERT/CC said the security flaw occurs because overflow.cgi does not adequately filter input destined for the email variable.
“Because of this flaw, an attacker can use a POST request to fill the e-mail
variable with arbitrary commands. The attacker can then call overflow.cgi,
which will allow the command the attacker filled the e-mail variable with to
be executed with superuser privileges,” it warned.
The center noted that the exploit is publicly available and might already be circulating.
