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Date:         Wed, 29 Apr 1998 12:39:19 +0200
From:         "|[TDP]|" <tdp@PSYNET.NET>
Subject:      Security hole in kppp

  I found an xploitable bug in my kppp application that comes with KDE env.
Local user can execute malicious code to obtain root access/shell.

gollum:~$ cd /usr/local/kde/bin
gollum:/usr/local/kde/bin$ ls -la kppp
-rwsr-xr-x   1 root     root       262516 Mar 15 01:17 kppp*
( ^- suid!)

gollum:/usr/local/kde/bin$ kppp -h
kppp -- valid command line options:
 -h describe command line options
 -c account_name : connect to account account_name
 -q : quit after end of connection
 -r rule_file: check syntax of rule_file

 I discover that -c option is buggy and root xploitable buffer overflow.


 With 244 or < chars (X's) executes with out problems

 With 245 chars (X's) gives me an error

gollum:/usr/local/kde/bin$ kppp -c
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Virtual memory exceed in `new'

 With 246 or > (until about 1024) chars (X's) cause a core dump :)

gollum:/usr/local/kde/bin$ kppp -c
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Segmentation fault (core dumped)

^^^^^^^^^^^^  Security hole...  Dangerous, isn't it?


 Remove the suid bit or wait for a patch

                                             -=[  [TDP] - H-13 MeMBaH
]=-
                                                 -=[
tdp@psynet.net    ]=-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:         Wed, 29 Apr 1998 15:19:40 -0400
Reply-To:     Bernd Johannes Wuebben <wuebben@MATH.CORNELL.EDU>
Organization: Cornell University
Subject:      Re: Security hole in kppp

This bug has been fixed a while ago. Users of kppp in a
security sensitive environment should upgrade to kppp-1.1.3.

Furthermore, I urge users of kppp in a security sensitive
environment to not run kppp SETUID root, but rather to
create a modem group.

kppp-1.1.3 is available in the kdenetwork package in the
snapshots directory on ftp.kde.org and its mirrors.

Best Regards,
Bernd Wuebben