IMAP AUTHENTICATE overflow could allow remote root access
| imap-authenticate-bo (1463) |  High Risk |
Description:
The Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) servers are vulnerable to a buffer overflow in the IMAP AUTHENTICATE command. By submitting a specially-crafted IMAP AUTHENTICATE command to the IMAP server, an attacker could overflow a buffer to execute arbitrary commands on the victim site as the user running imapd, usually root.
This vulnerability is not the vulnerability described in CERT Advisory CA-97.09, which describes a buffer overflow in the IMAP LOGIN command.
Consequences:
Gain Access
Remedy:
For Sun Microsystems:
Apply the appropriate patch for your system, as listed in Sun Microsystems, Inc. Security Bulletin #00177. See References.
For Silicon Graphics, Inc.:
Upgrade to the latest version of the imapd daemon, available from the University of Washington FTP server. See References.
For other distributions:
Contact your vendor for upgrade or patch information.
References:
- BugTraq Mailing List, Fri, 17 Jul 1998 00:06:30 +0200: EMERGENCY: new remote root exploit in UW imapd.
- CERT Advisory CA-1998-09: Buffer Overflow in Some Implementations of IMAP Servers.
- CIAC Information Bulletin I-074: Buffer Overflow in Some Implementations of IMAP Servers.
- Insecure.org: Attention: Please update your imapd.
- SGI Security Advisory 19980802-01-I: University of Washington imapd daemon Vulnerability.
- Sun Microsystems, Inc. Security Bulletin #00177: IMAP.
- Washington University: Washington University FTP site.
- BID-130: imapd Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
- CVE-1999-0005: Arbitrary command execution via IMAP buffer overflow in authenticate command.
Platforms Affected:
- Apple Mac OS
- Cisco IOS
- Compaq Tru64
- Data General DG/UX
- IBM AIX
- IBM OS2
- Linux Kernel
- Mark Crispin, Stanford University Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)
- Microsoft Windows 2000
- Microsoft Windows 2003 Server
- Microsoft Windows 95
- Microsoft Windows 98
- Microsoft Windows 98SE
- Microsoft Windows Me
- Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
- Microsoft Windows XP
- Novell NetWare
- RedHat Linux 4.2
- SCO SCO Unix
- SGI IRIX
- Sun Internet Mail Server 2.0
- Sun Internet Mail Server 3.0
- Sun Solaris
- WindRiver BSDOS
- HP-UX
Reported:
Jul 17, 1998
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