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Home >> Browse Vulnerability Assessment Database >> Red Hat Local Security Checks >> RHSA-2002-195: tetex

Vulnerability Assessment Details

RHSA-2002-195: tetex

Vulnerability Assessment Summary
Check for the version of the tetex packages

Detailed Explanation for this Vulnerability Assessment

Updated packages for dvips are available which fix a vulnerability permiting
print users to execute arbitrary commands.

[Updated 13 Aug 2003]
Added tetex-doc package that was originally left out of the errata.

The dvips utility converts DVI format into PostScript(TM), and is used in
Red Hat Linux as a print filter for printing DVI files. A vulnerability
has been found in dvips which uses the system() function insecurely when
managing fonts.

Since dvips is used in a print filter, this permits local or remote
attackers who have print access to carefully craft a print job that permits
them to execute arbitrary code as the user 'lp'.

A work around for this vulnerability is to remove the print filter for DVI
files. The following commands, run as root, will accomplish this:

rm -f /usr/share/printconf/mf_rules/mf40-tetex_filters
rm -f /usr/lib/rhs/rhs-printfilters/dvi-to-ps.fpi

However, to fix the problem in the dvips utility as well as remove the
print filter we recommend that all users upgrade to the these packages
contained within this erratum which contain a patch for this issue.

This vulnerability was discovered by Olaf Kirch of SuSE.

Additionally, the file /var/lib/texmf/ls-R had world-writable permissions.

This issue is also fixed by the packages contained within this erratum.

Solution : http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2002-195.html
Network Security Threat Level: High

Networks Security ID:

Vulnerability Assessment Copyright: This script is Copyright (C) 2004 Tenable Network Security

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