Vulnerability Note VU#810921

Cobalt RaQ Server Appliances contains vulnerability allowing remote root compromise

Original Release date: 11 Dec 2002 | Last revised: 16 Dec 2002

Overview

A remotely exploitable vulnerability exists in Cobalt RaQ Server Appliances with the Security Hardening Package (SHP) installed.

Description

The Cobalt RaQ is a Sun Server Appliance. Sun describes the Cobalt RaQ as follows:

    The Cobalt RaQTM4 is a server appliance that provides a dedicated Web-hosting platform and offers new capabilities for high-traffic, complex Web sites and e-commerce applications.

    The RaQ 4 server appliance offers a full suite of Internet services with remote administration capabilities, pre-packaged in a single rack-unit (1RU) industry-standard enclosure. The RaQ 4 is pre-configured with Apache Web server, Sendmail, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server, Domain Name System (DNS), the Linux operating system, FrontPage Server extensions, and support for Active Server Pages (ASP), PHP and common gateway interface (CGI) scripts.

Sun provides the SHP for Cobalt RaQs. Although it is not installed by default, many users install the SHP. Quoting from the SHP RaQ 4 User Guide:
    Security Functions include:
    • Scan detection, logging, and lockout
    • Buffer overflow protection
    • Root privilege control
A remotely exploitable vulnerability in the SHP may allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on a Cobalt RaQ Server Appliance. The vulnerability occurs in a cgi script that does not properly filter input. Specifically, overflow.cgi does not adequately filter input destined for the email variable. Because of this flaw, an attacker can use a POST request to fill the email variable with arbitrary commands. The attacker can then call overflow.cgi, which will allow the command the attacker filled the email variable with to be executed with superuser privileges.

Impact

A remote attacker may be able to execute arbitrary code on a Cobalt RaQ Server Appliance with the SHP installed.

Solution

Apply a patch. This patch will remove the SHP from your RaQ.

Systems Affected (Learn More)

VendorStatusDate NotifiedDate Updated
Sun Microsystems Inc.Affected-11 Dec 2002
If you are a vendor and your product is affected, let us know.

CVSS Metrics (Learn More)

Group Score Vector
Base N/A N/A
Temporal N/A N/A
Environmental N/A N/A

References

Credit

This vulnerability was publicly reported by <grazer@digit-labs.org>.

This document was written by Ian A Finlay.

Other Information

  • CVE IDs: CAN-2002-1361
  • CERT Advisory: CA-2002-35
  • Date Public: 05 Dec 2002
  • Date First Published: 11 Dec 2002
  • Date Last Updated: 16 Dec 2002
  • Severity Metric: 41.63
  • Document Revision: 67

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