Software Engineering Institute

From the Kermit Project:

Kermit software offers interactive and scripted file transfer and management, terminal emulation, Unicode-aware character-set conversion, and/or Internet security for Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Mac OS X, Solaris, AIX, HP-UX, Tru64 Unix, SCO, QNX, OS/2, VMS, DOS, IBM mainframes, and dozens of other platforms, new and old, over the Internet as well as serial ports and modems. Internet security methods include Kerberos IV, Kerberos V, SSL, TLS, SSH, and SRP. Internet protocols include traditional and secure Telnet, traditional and secure FTP, traditional and secure HTTP. All functions can be automated using Kermit's built-in cross-platform script programming language. Terminal emulations for Windows include VT100, VT220, VT320, ANSI, HP, IBM, Linux Console, Sun Console, QNX, AT386, SCO ANSI, SNI 97801, Televideo, Wyse, and many others.
The version of Kermit shipping with HP9000 Series 700/800 running HP-UX releases 10.20 and 11.00 contains a locally exploitable buffer overflow which may allow a local attacker to gain elevated privileges.

From the HP-UX security bulletins digest (HPSBUX0305-259):
A problem has been reported in kermit which could allow access to account bin and group daemon privileges. Until a fix is available we recommend removing suid/sgid permissions from kermit. This will limit the functionality of kermit. Full functionality will be available only to the root user.

Until a patch is available, you may wish to follow Hewlett-Packard Company's advice to remove suid permissions from /usr/bin/kermit. According to Hewlett-Packard Company, this will limit the functionality of kermit. Full functionality will be available only to the root user.