10 - RHSA-2005:838

Problem Description:

Updated PHP packages that fix multiple security issues are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1

This update has been rated as having moderate security impact by the Red Hat Security Response Team.

2. Relevant releases/architectures:

Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (Advanced Server) version 2.1 - i386, ia64 Red Hat Linux Advanced Workstation 2.1 - ia64 Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES version 2.1 - i386 Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS version 2.1 - i386

3. Problem description:

PHP is an HTML-embedded scripting language commonly used with the Apache HTTP Web server.

A flaw was found in the way PHP registers global variables during a file upload request. A remote attacker could submit a carefully crafted multipart/form-data POST request that would overwrite the $GLOBALS array, altering expected script behavior, and possibly leading to the execution of arbitrary PHP commands. Note that this vulnerability only affects installations which have register_globals enabled in the PHP configuration file, which is not a default or recommended option. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project assigned the name CVE-2005-3390 to this issue.

A flaw was found in the PHP parse_str() function. If a PHP script passes only one argument to the parse_str() function, and the script can be forced to abort execution during operation (for example due to the memory_limit setting), the register_globals may be enabled even if it is disabled in the PHP configuration file. This vulnerability only affects installations that have PHP scripts using the parse_str function in this way. (CVE-2005-3389)

A Cross-Site Scripting flaw was found in the phpinfo() function. If a victim can be tricked into following a malicious URL to a site with a page displaying the phpinfo() output, it may be possible to inject javascript or HTML content into the displayed page or steal data such as cookies. This vulnerability only affects installations which allow users to view the output of the phpinfo() function. As the phpinfo() function outputs a large amount of information about the current state of PHP, it should only be used during debugging or if protected by authentication. (CVE-2005-3388)

Additionally, a bug introduced in the updates to fix CVE-2004-1019 has been corrected.

Users of PHP should upgrade to these updated packages, which contain backported patches that resolve these issues.

4. Solution:

Before applying this update, make sure all previously released errata relevant to your system have been applied.

This update is available via Red Hat Network. To use Red Hat Network, launch the Red Hat Update Agent with the following command:

up2date

This will start an interactive process that will result in the appropriate RPMs being upgraded on your system.

5. Bug IDs fixed (http://bugzilla.redhat.com/):

150778 - issue in fix for CAN-2004-1019 172207 - CVE-2005-3390 PHP register globals arbitrary code execution 172209 - CVE-2005-3389 PHP parse_str can enable register_globals 172212 - CVE-2005-3388 PHP phpinfo() XSS attack