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ESB-2000.368 -- SGI Security Advisory 20001101-01-I -- InPerson Vulnerabilities

Date: 24 November 2000

Click here for printable version
Click here for PGP verifiable version
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===========================================================================
              AUSCERT External Security Bulletin Redistribution
                             
             ESB-2000.368 -- SGI Security Advisory 20001101-01-I
                          InPerson Vulnerabilities
                              24 November 2000

===========================================================================

	AusCERT Security Bulletin Summary
	---------------------------------

Product:                InPerson
Vendor:                 SGI
Operating System:       IRIX
Platform:               SGI
Impact:                 Root Compromise
Access Required:        Local

- --------------------------BEGIN INCLUDED TEXT--------------------

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______________________________________________________________________________
                          SGI Security Advisory

        Title:   InPerson Vulnerabilities
    Reference:   CAN-2000-0799
       Number:   20001101-01-I
        Date:    November 20, 2000
______________________________________________________________________________

SGI provides this information freely to the SGI user community for its
consideration, interpretation, implementation and use.   SGI recommends
that this information be acted upon as soon as possible.

SGI provides the information in this Security Advisory on an "AS-IS" basis
only, and disclaims all warranties with respect thereto, express, implied
or otherwise, including, without limitation, any warranty of merchantability
or fitness for a particular purpose.  In no event shall SGI be liable for
any loss of profits, loss of business, loss of data or for any indirect,
special, exemplary, incidental or consequential damages of any kind arising
from your use of, failure to use or improper use of any of the instructions
or information in this Security Advisory.
______________________________________________________________________________


- - -----------------------
- - --- Issue Specifics ---
- - -----------------------

InPerson is a multimedia desktop conferencing tool for IRIX workstations.

There have been several reports of vulnerabilities in InPerson which
allow users with local accounts on IRIX workstations to obtain root
access.

SGI has investigated the issue and recommends the following steps for
neutralizing the exposure.  It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that these measures
be implemented on ALL vulnerable SGI systems.


- - --------------
- - --- Impact ---
- - --------------

InPerson is installed by default on IRIX 5.3 through IRIX 6.5.10.

A local user account on the vulnerable system is required in order to
exploit the InPerson application.

These vulnerabilities can lead to a root compromise.

This vulnerabilities have been publicly discussed in Usenet newsgroups
and Security mailing lists or web sites:

http://geek-girl.com/bugtraq/1997_2/0191.html
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/381
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/1530
http://www.lsd-pl.net/files/get?IRIX/irx_inpview
http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CAN-2000-0799


- - --------------------------
- - --- Temporary Solution ---
- - --------------------------

The steps below can be used to remove the InPerson application to prevent
exploitation of this vulnerability.


     1) Check to see if the vulnerable subsystem is installed.
        All versions of InPerson are vulnerable.

        % versions -b InPerson
           Name        Date        Description
        I  InPerson    07/18/2000  InPerson Desktop Conferencing, 2.2.1

     2) Become the root user on the system.

        % /bin/su -
        Password:
        #


     3) Remove the vulnerable subsystem.

        # versions remove InPerson


     4) Return to previous level.

        # exit
        %


When possible, install SGImeeting to replace InPerson conferencing
functionality.


- - ----------------
- - --- Solution ---
- - ----------------

No SGI patches are currently available for the InPerson application.

Please remove the InPerson software from your system with steps
in Temporary Solution section.

InPerson functionality has been replaced with SGImeeting which is
compatible with Microsoft NetMeeting, PictureTel LiveShare Plus,
SunForum, HP Visual Conference and other T.120 compliant clients.

Information on SGImeeting is available at:
http://www.sgi.com/software/sgimeeting/

SGImeeting 1.4 is available for IRIX 6.5.6 and above:
http://www.sgi.com/Products/Evaluation/6.5.6_sgimeeting_1.4/

SGImeeting 2.0 is available for IRIX 6.5.2 and above:
http://www.sgi.com/Products/Evaluation/6.5.2_sgimeeting_2.0/

- - ------------------------
- - --- Acknowledgments ----
- - ------------------------

SGI wishes to thank the users of the Internet Community at large for
their assistance in this matter.


- - -----------------------------------------
- - --- SGI Security Information/Contacts ---
- - -----------------------------------------

If there are questions about this document, email can be sent to
cse-security-alert@sgi.com.

                      ------oOo------

SGI provides security information and patches for use by the entire SGI
community.  This information is freely available to any person needing
the information and is available via anonymous FTP and the Web.

The primary SGI anonymous FTP site for security information and patches
is sgigate.sgi.com (204.94.209.1).  Security information and patches
are located under the directories ~ftp/security and ~ftp/patches,
respectively. The SGI Security Headquarters Web page is accessible at
the URL http://www.sgi.com/support/security/ .

For issues with the patches on the FTP sites, email can be sent to
cse-security-alert@sgi.com.

For assistance obtaining or working with security patches, please
contact your SGI support provider.

                      ------oOo------

SGI provides a free security mailing list service called wiretap and
encourages interested parties to self-subscribe to receive (via email) all
SGI Security Advisories when they are released. Subscribing to the mailing
list can be done via the Web (http://www.sgi.com/support/security/wiretap.html)
or by sending email to SGI as outlined below.

% mail wiretap-request@sgi.com
subscribe wiretap <YourEmailAddress>
end
^d

In the example above, <YourEmailAddress> is the email address that you
wish the mailing list information sent to.  The word end must be on a
separate line to indicate the end of the body of the message. The
control-d (^d) is used to indicate to the mail program that you are
finished composing the mail message.


                      ------oOo------

SGI provides a comprehensive customer World Wide Web site. This site is
located at http://www.sgi.com/support/security/ .

                      ------oOo------

For reporting *NEW* SGI security issues, email can be sent to
security-alert@sgi.com or contact your SGI support provider.  A
support contract is not required for submitting a security report.

______________________________________________________________________________
      This information is provided freely to all interested parties
      and may be redistributed provided that it is not altered in any
      way, SGI is appropriately credited and the document retains and
      includes its valid PGP signature.


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This security bulletin is provided as a service to AusCERT's members.  As
AusCERT did not write the document quoted above, AusCERT has had no control
over its content.  The decision to use any or all of this information is
the responsibility of each user or organisation, and should be done so in
accordance with site policies and procedures.

NOTE: This is only the original release of the security bulletin.  It may
not be updated when updates to the original are made.  If downloading at
a later date, it is recommended that the bulletin is retrieved directly
from the original authors to ensure that the information is still current.

Contact information for the authors of the original document is included
in the Security Bulletin above.  If you have any questions or need further
information, please contact them directly.

Previous advisories and external security bulletins can be retrieved from:

	http://www.auscert.org.au/Information/advisories.html

If you believe that your system has been compromised, contact AusCERT or
your representative in FIRST (Forum of Incident Response and Security
Teams).

Internet Email: auscert@auscert.org.au
Facsimile:	(07) 3365 7031
Telephone:	(07) 3365 4417 (International: +61 7 3365 4417)
		AusCERT personnel answer during Queensland business hours
		which are GMT+10:00 (AEST).
		On call after hours for emergencies.


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