There is a remotely exploitable security hole in Sun Microsystems’
Cobalt RaQ 4 server appliances and the CERT Coordination Center
is warning that exploitation could lead to the code execution with superuser
privileges.
A security
advisory from CERT/CC warned of the vulnerability in Cobalt RaQ 4
servers running Sun’s Security Hardening Package (SHP) and recommended
server administrators apply vendor patches immediately. Alternatively,
admins are urged to block access to the administrative httpd server
(typically ports 81/TCP and 444/TCP) at the network perimeter.
Sun confirmed the remote root exploit if the SHP is installed (it does
not install by default but many users choose to install it) and issued instructions on how to remove the flawed SHP patch.
The vulnerability was detected in a CGI
properly filter input on the server. CERT/CC said the security flaw occurs
because overflow.cgi does not adequately filter input destined for
the email variable.
“Because of this flaw, an attacker can use a POST request to fill the email
variable with arbitrary commands. The attacker can then call overflow.cgi,
which will allow the command the attacker filled the email variable with to
be executed with superuser privileges,” it warned.
The center warned that an exploit was publicly available and might
already be circulating.