Bug 82146

Summary: snmpwalk pins snmpd
Product: [Retired] Red Hat Linux Reporter: Jon Willeke <willeke>
Component: net-snmpAssignee: Phil Knirsch <pknirsch>
Status: CLOSED WONTFIX QA Contact:
Severity: medium Docs Contact:
Priority: medium    
Version: 9CC: baer, blentz, chrismcc, rvokal
Target Milestone: ---   
Target Release: ---   
Hardware: i386   
OS: Linux   
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version: Doc Type: Bug Fix
Doc Text:
Story Points: ---
Clone Of: Environment:
Last Closed: 2004-02-03 14:54:34 UTC Type: ---
Regression: --- Mount Type: ---
Documentation: --- CRM:
Verified Versions: Category: ---
oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: --- Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:
Bug Depends On:    
Bug Blocks: 79579, 100644    

Description Jon Willeke 2003-01-18 05:01:47 UTC
From Bugzilla Helper:
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Description of problem:
I started the snmpd and snmptrapd services, so I could try a simple example from
_Essential SNMP_ (O'Reilly):

  $ snmpget -v 1 localhost -c public .1.3.6.1.2.1.1.6.0
  SNMPv2-MIB::sysLocation.0 = STRING: Unknown (edit /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf)

I then tried the next example:

  $ snmpwalk -v 1 localhost -c public system
  Timeout: No Response from localhost

If start the top program, I see that snmpd is taking 90% or more of the CPU. 
Subsequently repeating the trivial snmpget command times out, as well.

I found a similar problem report in mailing.unix.net-snmp-users at Google
Groups.  Wes Hardaker replied: "It's a known optimization problem with
restrictive VACM settings.  This is actually fixed in the current CVS tree and
due to be released in 5.0.7."

I installed 5.0.7 and found that, while it still ultimately times out, it
behaves a little better:

  $ snmpwalk -v 1 localhost -c public system
  ...
  SNMPv2-MIB::sysORUpTime.8 = Timeticks: (3) 0:00:00.03
  SNMPv2-MIB::sysORUpTime.9 = Timeticks: (3) 0:00:00.03
  Timeout: No Response from localhost

I recommend that you upgrade net-snmp to 5.0.7.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): 5.0.6-9

How reproducible:
Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Ensure that net-snmp and net-snmp-utils are installed.
2. Start the snmpd service (and possibly snmptrapd).
3. Issue an snmpwalk on "system" in the public community; e.g.:
   snmpwalk -v 1 localhost -c public system

Actual Results:  You'll likely get a time out immediately.  If you have a fast
system or a non-default snmpd.conf, you may see a few entries.

Expected Results:  I guess snmpwalk should display all the items.

Additional info:

snmpwalk times out immediately on the following systems:

  * RH 6.2 on a Celeron 600
  * RH 8.0 on a K6-3+ 450
  * RH 8.0.92 on a Pentium Pro 200

I managed to get some output on these systems:

  * RH 7.3 on a Pentium II 400
  * RH 8.0 on a quad Pentium III Xeon 450

Upgrading to 5.0.7 improved the situation with 8.0.92 on the Pentium Pro and 8.0
on the K6-3+.  Still, this package is, effectively, vulnerable to a
denial-of-service attack.

You'll need to update the nodb patch that's in 5.0.6-11 (the current rawhide
package).  Also, the syslog patch no longer appears to be necessary.

By the way, I could not build this package without libelf-devel, a dependency
that is not caught by RPM or configure.

Comment 1 Phil Knirsch 2003-01-23 15:36:52 UTC
Verified, this is again the problem with the read-only public view being system
instead if .1

I have considered changing this in the snmpd.conf file we deliver, but i am very
reluctant about it as it will offer much more information about a machine
running snmpd by default than before.

As there are multiple bugs open with that problem i tend to make this change
despite the security concerns i have (after all, we're 'only' talking about
read-only stuff.).

Read ya, Phil

Comment 2 Phil Knirsch 2003-05-14 14:52:37 UTC
*** Bug 88677 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 3 Phil Knirsch 2003-07-31 12:07:21 UTC
*** Bug 101083 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 4 Phil Knirsch 2003-11-14 16:52:54 UTC
*** Bug 110060 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 5 Phil Knirsch 2004-02-03 14:54:34 UTC
I'll close this bug now as after long consideration i will leave the
config file in the secure but DoS-able state.

The implications of opening up a default configuration so that all
available information about a system can be gathered from any host is
just too much of a security risk.

If anyone wants or needs a responsive snmpd he can make the necessary
and in this bugzilla descibed changes to the snmpd.conf file.

Thanks,

Read ya, Phil