[linux-security] remote exploit in rsync server

[Martin Siegert <siegert@sfu.ca>]

Topic
=====
remote exploit in rsync server

Problem Description
===================
The rsync suite provides client and server tools to easily support an
administrator keeping the files of different machines in sync.
In most private networks the rsync client tool is used via SSH to fulfill
his tasks. In an open environment rsync is run in server mode accepting
connections from many untrusted hosts with, but mostly without,
authentication.
The rsync server drops its root privileges soon after it was started and
per default creates a chroot environment.
Due to insufficient integer/bounds checking in the server code a heap
overflow can be triggered remotely to execute arbitrary code. This code
does not get executed as root and access is limited to the chroot
environment. The chroot environment maybe broken afterwards by abusing
further holes in system software or holes in the chroot setup.

Your are not vulnerable as long as you do not use rsync in server mode
or you use authentication to access the rsync server.

Affected Versions
=================
rsync versions prior to 2.5.7

Workaround
==========
Disable access to your rsync server for untrusted parties, enable
authentication or switch back to rsync via SSH.

Solution
========
update to rsync version 2.5.7 or patched version for your distribution.

RedHat 7.x
----------
rpm -Fvh rsync-2.5.7-0.7.i386.rpm

RedHat 8.0
----------
rpm -Fvh rsync-2.5.7-0.8.i386.rpm

RedHat 9
--------
rpm -Fvh rsync-2.5.7-0.9.i386.rpm

SuSE-7.3, 8.0
-------------
rpm -Fvh rsync-2.4.6-499.i386.rpm

SuSE-8.1
--------
rpm -Fvh rsync-2.5.5-258.i386.rpm

SuSE-8.2, 9.0
-------------
rpm -Fvh rsync-2.5.6-193.i386.rpm

Mandrake 9.0
------------
rpm -Fvh rsync-2.5.5-5.1.90mdk.i586.rpm

Mandrake 9.1
------------
rpm -Fvh rsync-2.5.7-0.1.91mdk.i586.rpm

Mandrake 9.2
------------
rpm -Fvh rsync-2.5.7-0.1.92mdk.i586.rpm

Debian 3.0 (woody)
------------------
upgrade to rsync_2.5.5-0.2_i386.deb

Fedora 1
--------
rpm -Fvh rsync-2.5.7-2.i386.rpm