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              AUSCERT External Security Bulletin Redistribution
                             
             ESB-2000.030 -- HP SECURITY BULLETIN HPSBUX0002-111
              Sec. Vulnerability with Ignite on Trusted systems
                              21 February 2000

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Hewlett-Packard has released the following bulletin concerning a 
vulnerability with Ignite on 'trusted systems' on HP-9000 Series 700/800 
running release HP-UX 11.X only.  If a system image of a trusted system is 
created with Ignite-UX and /etc/passwd is not saved in the image (the 
default behaviour for Ignite-UX) blank password fields may appear in a the 
/etc/passwd file of a trusted system restored using such an system image.

This vulnerability may allow users to gain additional privileges.


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Document ID:  HPSBUX0002-111
Date Loaded:  20000216
      Title:  Sec. Vulnerability with Ignite on Trusted systems

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY SECURITY ADVISORY: #00111, 17 Feb 2000
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------

The information in the following Security Advisory should be acted upon
as soon as possible.  Hewlett-Packard Company 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:  Trusted systems may have vulnerabilities if a password
          field in /etc/passwd is blank.

PLATFORM: HP-9000 Series700/800 running release HP-UX 11.X only.

DAMAGE:   Increase of privileges.

SOLUTION: Verify that all entries in /etc/passwd have "*" in the
          password field if the system is trusted.

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I.
   A. Background
      Each password field in /etc/passwd should be "*" in a trusted
      system.  This is normally handled automatically.  One way for
      the password field to be set to a blank is to create a system
      image of a trusted system with Ignite-UX and not save /etc/passwd.
      By default Ignite-UX omits /etc/passwd.

   B. Fixing the problem
      In a trusted system if the system or the /etc/passwd file has
      been restored, verify that the password fields in /etc/passwd
      are "*".  If Ignite-UX is used to create an image of a trusted
      system, _override_the_default_ so that /etc/passwd is saved in
      the image.  See man(1M) make_sys_image and note the -f file option.

   C. To subscribe to automatically receive future NEW HP Security
      Bulletins from the HP IT Resource Center via electronic mail,
      do the following:

      Use your browser to get to the HP IT Resource Center page
      at:

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

      Under the Maintenance and Support Menu (Electronic Support Center):
        click on the "more..." link.  Then -

      To -subscribe- to future HP Security Bulletins, or
      To -review- bulletins already released
        click on "Support Information Digests" near the bottom of the
        page, under "Notifications".

      Login with your user ID and password (or register for one).
      (Remember to save the User ID assigned to you, and your password).

      On the "Support Information Digest Main" page:
      click on the "HP Security Bulletin Archive".

      Once in the archive the third link is to our current Security
      Patch Matrix.  Updated daily, this matrix categorizes security
      patches by platform/OS release, and by bulletin topic.

      The security patch matrix is also available via anonymous ftp:

      us-ffs.external.hp.com
      ~ftp/export/patches/hp-ux_patch_matrix

   D. 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 Advisory to
      Hewlett-Packard (HP) customers (or the Internet community) for the
      purpose of alerting them to problems, if and only if, the Advisory
      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.
________________________________________________________________________
- -----End of Document ID:  HPSBUX0002-111--------------------------------------

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