iDefense reported a vulnerability discovered by regenrecht affecting Xorg X server: DESCRIPTION Local exploitation of an invalid array index vulnerability in the X.Org X server, as included in various vendors' operating system distributions, could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the X server, typically root. The vulnerability exists within the code responsible for processing PassMessage requests. The handler for this request takes a 32-bit value from the client's request, and uses it as an index into an array of structures. The structure obtained contains an array of function pointers, and one of them is dereferenced later in the request. By supplying a large array index, an arbitrary function pointer can be dereferenced. The vulnerable code is shown below: From hw/xfree86/dixmods/extmod/xf86misc.c:ProcXF86MiscPassMessage() 596 if ((retval = MiscExtPassMessage(stuff->screen,msgtype,msgval,&retstr)) != 0) { 597 xfree(msgtype); 598 xfree(msgval); 599 return retval; 699 } From hw/xfree86/common/xf86MiscExt.c:MiscExtPassMessage() 567 ScrnInfoPtr pScr = xf86Screens[scrnIndex]; 568 569 DEBUG_P("MiscExtPassMessage"); 570 571 if (*pScr->HandleMessage == NULL) 572 return BadImplementation; 573 return (*pScr->HandleMessage)(scrnIndex, msgtype, msgval, retstr); On line 596, the stuff->screen value is passed to the MiscExtPassMessage() function. On line 567, this value is then used as an index into the xf86Screens array. On line 573, a function pointer from this structure is then dereferenced. At no time is the stuff->screen parameter validated. ANALYSIS Exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges. In order to exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must be able to send commands to an affected X server. This typically requires access to the console or access to the same account as a user who is on the console. One method of gaining the required access is to remotely exploit a vulnerability in, for example, a graphical web browser. This would then allow an attacker to exploit this vulnerability and elevate their privileges to root. If an X Server is configured to listen for TCP based client connections, and a client is granted access to create sessions (via the xhosts file), then the vulnerability can be exploited remotely. WORKAROUND If the XC-MISC extension has not been built-in to the server, then it can be prevented from loading by inserting the following into the X configuration file (usually in /etc/X11/xorg.conf): Section "Module" SubSection "extmod" Option "omit XC-MISC" Option "omit XFree86-Misc" EndSubSection EndSection To check if the extension is built-in to the server, grep the output of the X Server log file: grep built-in /var/log/Xorg.0.log The result will list all built in extensions. The location of the log file may need to be changed.
Upstream bug report: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=13524
According to upstream, this issue only affects XFree86-MISC extension, XC-MISC is not affected. Upstream does not recommend disabling XC-MISC as suggested in iDefense advisory in Workaround section.
Verified patch 'freedesktop-bug-13524.patch' was excluded from xorg-x11-6.8.2-1.EL.33.0.1.src.rpm. And the patch 'cve-2007-5760.patch' fixed xf86MiscExt.c file.
Lifting embargo: http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/xorg/2008-January/031918.html
xorg-x11-server-1.3.0.0-39.fc8 has been pushed to the Fedora 8 stable repository. If problems still persist, please make note of it in this bug report.
xorg-x11-server-1.3.0.0-15.fc7 has been pushed to the Fedora 7 stable repository. If problems still persist, please make note of it in this bug report.
This issue was addressed in: Red Hat Enterprise Linux: http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2008-0031.html http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2008-0030.html Fedora: https://admin.fedoraproject.org/updates/F7/FEDORA-2008-0831 https://admin.fedoraproject.org/updates/F8/FEDORA-2008-0760