-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

===========================================================================
              AUSCERT External Security Bulletin Redistribution

                   ESB-2001.027 -- FreeBSD-SA-01:04.joe
                    joe creates insecure recovery files
                              22 January 2001

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

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

Product:                joe
Vendor:                 FreeBSD Ports Collection
Operating System:       FreeBSD
                        BSD
                        Unix
Impact:                 Read-only Data Access
Access Required:        Local

Ref:                    ESB-2000.362

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

- - -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

=============================================================================
FreeBSD-SA-01:04                                           Security Advisory
                                                                FreeBSD, Inc.

Topic:          joe creates insecure recovery files

Category:       ports
Module:         joe
Announced:      2001-01-15
Credits:        Christer Öberg and Patrik Birgersson,
		of Wkit Security AB
Affects:        Ports collection prior to the correction date.
Corrected:      2000-12-12
Vendor status:  Updated version released
FreeBSD only:   NO

I.   Background

joe is a text editor.

II.  Problem Description

The joe port, versions prior to 2.8_2, contains a local vulnerability:
if a joe session with an unsaved file terminates abnormally, joe
creates a rescue copy of the file called ``DEADJOE'' in the same
directory as the file being edited.  The creation of this copy is made
without checking if the file is a symbolic link.  If the file is a
link, joe will append the contents of the unsaved file to the linked
file: therefore if the joe editor is run on a private file in a public
directory such as /tmp, an attacker can access the contents of the
edited file by causing it to be appended to a world-writable file
owned by the attacker if the joe process terminates abnormally.

The joe port is not installed by default, nor is it "part of FreeBSD"
as such: it is part of the FreeBSD ports collection, which contains
nearly 4500 third-party applications in a ready-to-install format.
The ports collections shipped with FreeBSD 3.5.1 and 4.2 contain this
problem since it was discovered after the releases.

FreeBSD makes no claim about the security of these third-party
applications, although an effort is underway to provide a security
audit of the most security-critical ports.

III. Impact

Malicious local users, under certain restricted conditions, may obtain
read access to non-readable files edited using the joe editor.

If you have not chosen to install the joe port/package, then your
system is not vulnerable to this problem.

IV.  Workaround

Deinstall the joe port/package, if you have installed it.

V.   Solution

One of the following:

1) Upgrade your entire ports collection and rebuild the joe port.

2) Deinstall the old package and install a new package dated after the
correction date, obtained from:

ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-3-stable/editors/joe-2.8_2.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-4-stable/editors/joe-2.8_2.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/alpha/packages-4-stable/editors/joe-2.8_2.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-5-current/editors/joe-2.8_2.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/alpha/packages-5-current/editors/joe-2.8_2.tgz

3) download a new port skeleton for the joe port from:

http://www.freebsd.org/ports/

and use it to rebuild the port.

4) Use the portcheckout utility to automate option (3) above. The
portcheckout port is available in /usr/ports/devel/portcheckout or the
package can be obtained from:

ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-3-stable/devel/portcheckout-2.0.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-4-stable/devel/portcheckout-2.0.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/alpha/packages-4-stable/devel/portcheckout-2.0.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-5-current/devel/portcheckout-2.0.tgz
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/alpha/packages-5-current/devel/portcheckout-2.0.tgz
- - -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.0.4 (FreeBSD)
Comment: For info see http://www.gnupg.org

iQCVAwUBOmN6S1UuHi5z0oilAQGiyAP+I8VOR5J8ThxuinRuGlwI9sIRImmMRxfd
oHYJFWQRoNfQTSdE6Q+ushjqJNPL7JrU8PZjSL/6wE89CVGeZL+70/wTz8HU9Ihi
8j8y98Fo+NvkBgpaLz5Ypo7Wpi3rZiEPzKTmfByk6CjVuwUc5k13aswcIg3TcZh0
TZuJFzhBxm8=
=baNZ
- - -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

- - --------------------------END INCLUDED TEXT--------------------

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.

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.6.3i
Charset: noconv
Comment: ftp://ftp.auscert.org.au/pub/auscert/AUSCERT_PGP.key

iQCVAwUBOm/y3Sh9+71yA2DNAQFBzAP/dGbezNMNbkMw4rZ35RpgcaCmzGub+511
JYC8Lx+MwQRqe6s5pgknkaH5AbO7aWyY58U0SBcaf2I4iJ8OzEYCSghMarC5y/R7
viMQhAbrGu7C480qNSbkSN3rTExZRkBxF6Bb34NhXC6ve+c3meqpHAz1CDq0rbCC
iyw37h1nnPo=
=Zs5q
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----