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              AUSCERT External Security Bulletin Redistribution

                             
           ESB-97.086 -- Hewlett-Packard Security Advisory #0065
	     Security Advisory in Netscape shipped with HP-UX
                              16 July 1997

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

Hewlett Packard has released the following advisory concerning a problem
in the Netscape Navigator program.  This vulnerability may allow a Web
site operator to retrieve known files from the hard disks of visiting
users by mimicking the submission of a form.

The following security bulletin is provided as a service to AUSCERT's
members.  As AUSCERT did not write this document, AUSCERT has had no
control over its content.  As such, 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.

Contact information for Hewlett Packard is included in the Security Bulletin
below.  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 4477
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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- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
           HEWLETT-PACKARD SECURITY ADVISORY: #0065, 15 July 1997
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------

 The information in the following Security Advisory should be acted upon
 as soon as possible.  Hewlett Packard will not be liable for any
 consequences to any customer resulting from customer's failure to fully
 implement instructions in this Security Advisory as soon as possible.

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROBLEM:  A problem has been identified in the Netscape Navigator.

PLATFORM: All platforms running Netscape Navigator 2.0, 3.0, and
          Communicator 4.0.

DAMAGE:   This vulnerability may allow a Web site operator to retrieve
          known files from the hard disks of visiting users by mimicking
          the submission of a form.

SOLUTION: Apply the workaround described below and in the Netscape web
          site:

          http://www.netscape.com/flash3/misc/security_update.html

AVAILABILITY:  This advisory will be updated when patches are available
               for HP-UX.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
I.
   A. Background - The problem applies to all versions of the
                   Netscape Navigator supplied by HP for HP-UX.

   B. Fixing the problem - Apply the workaround:
      NOTE - The Navigator 3.0 instructions also apply to Navigator 2.02.
      ==================================================================
      Until patches are available, users of Navigator 3.0 and
      Communicator 4.0 can take the following steps to enable warning
      dialog boxes to detect and cancel form submissions:

         In Navigator 3.0: Go to the Options menu and select Security
                           Preferences. Select the "Submitting a Form
                           Insecurely" preference to enable that warning
                           dialog box.

         In Communicator 4.0: Select the lock in the toolbar to open the
                           Security Advisor. Select Navigator, then select
                           the "Sending Unencrypted Information to a Site"
                           preference to enable that warning dialog box.
      ===================================================================

   C. Recommended solution - At this time the only solution is the
      workaround.  No patches are available currently for HP-UX.

   D. Impact of the patch - N/A

   E. To subscribe to automatically receive future NEW HP Security
      Bulletins from the HP Electronic Support Center via electronic mail,
      do the following:

      User your browser to get to the HP Electronic Support Center page:

          http://us-support.external.hp.com
               (for US, Canada, Asia-Pacific, & Latin-America)

          http://europe-support.external.hp.com (for Europe)

      Click on the Technical Knowledge Database, register as a user
      (remember to save the User ID assigned to you, and your password),
      and it will connect to a HP Search Technical Knowledge DB page.
      Near the bottom is a hyperlink to our Security Bulletin archive.
      Once in the archive there is another link to our current
      security patch matrix. Updated daily, this matrix is categorized
      by platform/OS release, and by bulletin topic.

   F. To report new security vulnerabilities, send email to

           security-alert@hp.com

       Please encrypt any exploit information using the security-alert
       PGP key, available from your local key server, or by sending a
       message with a -subject- (not body) of 'get key' (no quotes) to
       security-alert@hp.com.

     Permission is granted for copying and circulating this Bulletin to
     Hewlett-Packard (HP) customers (or the Internet community) for the
     purpose of alerting them to problems, if and only if, the Bulletin
     is not edited or changed in any way, is attributed to HP, and
     provided such reproduction and/or distribution is performed for
     non-commercial purposes.

     Any other use of this information is prohibited. HP is not liable
     for any misuse of this information by any third party.
________________________________________________________________________
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