copyright | disclaimer | privacy | contact  
Australia's Leading Computer Emergency Response Team
 
Search this site

 
On this site

 > HOME
 > About AusCERT
 > Membership
 > Contact Us
 > PKI Services
 > Training
 > Publications
 > Sec. Bulletins
 > Conferences
 > News & Media
 > Services
 > Web Log
 > Site Map
 > Site Help
 > Member login





 

ESB-2008.0022 -- [Win][UNIX/Linux] -- PostgreSQL security updates available

Date: 08 January 2008
References: ESB-2007.0048  ESB-2008.0042  ESB-2008.0046  ESB-2008.0049  ESB-2008.0051  ESB-2008.0110  ESB-2008.0342  ESB-2013.0036  

Click here for printable version
Click here for PGP verifiable version
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

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

                    ESB-2008.0022 -- [Win][UNIX/Linux]
                   PostgreSQL security updates available
                              8 January 2008

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

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

Product:              PostgreSQL
Publisher:            PostgreSQL
Operating System:     Windows
                      UNIX variants (UNIX, Linux, OSX)
Impact:               Denial of Service
                      Increased Privileges
Access:               Existing Account
CVE Names:            CVE-2007-6601 CVE-2007-6600 CVE-2007-6067
                      CVE-2007-4772 CVE-2007-4769 CVE-2007-3278

Ref:                  ESB-2007.0048

Original Bulletin:    http://www.postgresql.org/about/news.905

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

Today the PostgreSQL Global Development Group is releasing updated 
versions which patch five security vulnerabilities. These releases 
update all current PostgreSQL versions, including 8.2, 8.1, 8.0, 7.4 and 
7.3.  They are considered CRITICAL and PostgreSQL DBAs and sysadmins 
should install the update as soon as they reasonably can.  Our security 
team has made all efforts to make these patches backwards-compatible, 
and upgrading does not require converting your data files.

Please read the remainder of this message for further important details 
and announcements.

Details of Security Fixes
- ----------------------------
There are five security fixes included in this release.  None of these 
issues are known to have been exploited in the field; they were 
discovered through security analysis.

Index Functions Privilege Escalation (CVE-2007-6600): as a unique 
feature, PostgreSQL allows users to create indexes on the results of 
user-defined functions, known as "expression indexes".   This provided 
two vulnerabilities to privilege escalation: (1) index functions were 
executed as the superuser and not the table owner during VACUUM and 
ANALYZE, and (2) that SET ROLE and SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION were 
permitted within index functions.  Both of these holes have now been closed.

Regular Expression Denial-of-Service (CVE-2007-4772, CVE-2007-6067, 
CVE-2007-4769): three separate issues in the regular expression 
libraries used by PostgreSQL allowed malicious users to initiate a 
denial-of-service by passing certain regular expressions in SQL queries. 
  First, users could create infinite loops using some specific regular 
expressions.  Second, certain complex regular expressions could consume 
excessive amounts of memory.  Third, out-of-range backref numbers could 
be used to crash the backend.  All of these issues have been patched.

DBLink Privilege Escalation (CVE-2007-6601): DBLink functions combined 
with local trust or ident authentication could be used by a malicious 
user to gain superuser privileges.  This issue has been fixed, and does 
not affect users who have not installed DBLink (an optional module), or 
who are using password authentication for local access.  This same 
problem was addressed in the previous release cycle (see CVE-2007-3278), 
but that patch failed to close all forms of the loophole.

EOL Notices
- ---------------------
Minor release 7.3.21 for PostgreSQL version 7.3 will be the last update 
to the 7.3 branch.  As version 7.3 is now over five years old, the 
community will no longer release patches for it after today's release. 
Users of version 7.3 are encouraged to upgrade to a more current version 
as soon as possible, or to seek support from a commercial support vendor 
who is willing to continue backpatching for them.

8.1.11 and 8.0.15 are also the last 8.1 and 8.0 update releases for 
which the PostgreSQL community will produce binary packages for Windows. 
Windows users are encouraged to move to 8.2.6 or later, since there are 
Windows-specific fixes in 8.2 that are impractical to back-port.  8.1 
and 8.0 updates will continue to be supported on other platforms and in 
source form.

Download and Install
- ------------------------
PostgreSQL minor releases 8.2.6, 8.1.11, 8.0.15, 7.4.19 and 7.3.21 are 
available through our FTP mirror network:

- -- Source Code: http://www.postgresql.org/ftp/source/
- -- Binaries for some platforms:  http://www.postgresql.org/ftp/binary/

If you need additional information on the included updates, it's 
available in our Release Notes 
(http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/release.html).  These 
upgrades can be copied directly over existing PostgreSQL binaries and do 
not require dump-and-reload for any system which has been updated in the 
last six months (older versions may require some specific post-update 
steps; see the release notes).

As always, PostgreSQL update releases are cumulative.  All security 
fixes will be included in the upcoming version 8.3 release candidate. 
This notice will be posted to the PostgreSQL security page: 
http://www.postgresql.org/support/security

- -- PostgreSQL Global Development Group

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

You have received this e-mail bulletin as a result of your organisation's
registration with AusCERT. The mailing list you are subscribed to is
maintained within your organisation, so if you do not wish to continue
receiving these bulletins you should contact your local IT manager. If
you do not know who that is, please send an email to auscert@auscert.org.au
and we will forward your request to the appropriate person.

NOTE: Third Party Rights
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 follow or act on information or advice
contained in this security bulletin is the responsibility of each user or
organisation, and should be considered in accordance with your organisation's
site policies and procedures. AusCERT takes no responsibility for consequences
which may arise from following or acting on information or advice contained in
this security bulletin.

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 author's website 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/render.html?cid=1980

If you believe that your computer system has been compromised or attacked in 
any way, we encourage you to let us know by completing the secure National IT 
Incident Reporting Form at:

        http://www.auscert.org.au/render.html?it=3192

===========================================================================
Australian Computer Emergency Response Team
The University of Queensland
Brisbane
Qld 4072

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 member emergencies only.
===========================================================================

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Comment: http://www.auscert.org.au/render.html?it=1967

iQCVAwUBR4LKZih9+71yA2DNAQJ7SQP/cOPGwDWd1u3nzcXFXWVvOSNDvgWuM4PF
pw3dFsO3ln0LeaY2q39CVNzJWxDDXcVJQeCVXEejP95b43d7fWLrhmog7zJP37pe
TVhszffL/DS1dYt0c7MZ40olBmp/JzhhkeBYlcNGz0VAwI2Mhhg0ixMvGtU8hRo6
RXHjue7FEps=
=xi4Z
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----