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Document Id: [HPSBUX9608-037]

Date Loaded: [08-08-96]



Description: Security Vulnerability in elm

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HEWLETT-PACKARD SECURITY ADVISORY: HPSBUX08-037, 08 August 1996

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The information in the following Security Advisory should be acted upon

as soon as possible.  Hewlett Packard will not be liable for any

consequences to any customer resulting from customer's failure to fully

implement instructions in this Security Advisory as soon as possible.

_________________________________________________________________________



PROBLEM:  Vulnerabilities in elm executable.

PLATFORM: HP 9000 series 300/400/700/800 systems running any version HP-UX

          9.X or 10.X.



DAMAGE:   User files can be modified by non-owners.  When running a

          restricted shell escapes may be possible.



SOLUTION: Apply patch PHCO_7204 (series 300/400,HP-UX 9.X), or

                      PHNE_7342 (series 700/800, HP-UX 9.X), or

                      PHNE_7343 (series 700/800, HP-UX 10.X).

AVAILABILITY:

          All of the patches are available now.

          For BLS system patch availability please contact your support

          representative.



_________________________________________________________________________



I.    elm



   A. Background



      Based on information detailed in CERT(sm) Vendor-Initiated Bulletin

      VB-95:10 Hewlett-Packard has found problems in the version of elm

      shipped with currently supported HP-UX releases.



   B. Fixing the problem



      Hewlett-Packard has created the above patches using the 

      information from the vendor.  These vulnerabilities can be eliminated 

      by installing the patches referenced herein.



   C. Impact of the patch



      The patches provide a new version of the necessary executables

      to fix the vulnerability.  Installation instructions are contained

      within the patches.



   D. To subscribe to automatically receive future NEW HP Security

      Bulletins from the HP SupportLine mail service via electronic

      mail, send an email message to:



      support@us.external.hp.com   (no Subject is required)



      Multiple instructions are allowed in the TEXT PORTION OF THE

      MESSAGE, here are some basic instructions you may want to use:



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      bulletins, send the following in the TEXT PORTION OF THE MESSAGE:



                  subscribe security_info



      To retrieve the index of all HP Security Bulletins issued to

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                  send security_info_list



      To get a patch matrix of current HP-UX and BLS security

      patches referenced by either Security Bulletin or Platform/OS,

      put the following in the text portion of your message:



                  send hp-ux_patch_matrix



      World Wide Web service for browsing of bulletins is available

      via our URL: http://us.external.hp.com



       Choose "Support news", then under Support news,

       choose "Security Bulletins"





   E. To report new security vulnerabilities, send email to



          security-alert@hp.com



      Please encrypt exploit information using the security-alert PGP

      key, available from your local key server, or by sending a

      message with a -subject- (not body) of 'get key' (no quotes) to

      security-alert@hp.com.





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