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.
Platforms Affected:
- Apple, Mac OS
- Cisco, IOS
- Compaq, Tru64
- Data General, DG/UX
- HP, HP-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
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.
Consequences:
Gain Access
References:
- BugTraq Mailing List, Fri, 17 Jul 1998 00:06:30 +0200, EMERGENCY: new remote root exploit in UW imapd at http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/bugtraq/1998_3/0167.html.
- CERT Advisory CA-1998-09, Buffer Overflow in Some Implementations of IMAP Servers at http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-1998-09.html.
- CIAC Information Bulletin I-074, Buffer Overflow in Some Implementations of IMAP Servers at http://www.ciac.org/ciac/bulletins/i-074.shtml.
- Insecure.org, Attention: Please update your imapd at http://seclists.org/lists/bugtraq/1998/Jul/0128.html.
- SGI Security Advisory 19980802-01-I, University of Washington imapd daemon Vulnerability at ftp://patches.sgi.com/support/free/security/advisories/19980802-01-I.
- Sun Microsystems, Inc. Security Bulletin #00177, IMAP at http://sunsolve.sun.com/pub-cgi/retrieve.pl?doc=secbull/177.
- Washington University, Washington University FTP site at ftp://ftp.cac.washington.edu/mail/imap.tar.Z.
- BID-130: imapd Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
- CVE-1999-0005: Arbitrary command execution via IMAP buffer overflow in authenticate command.
Reported:
Jul 17, 1998
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