Re: [iwar] [fc:Red.Hat.7.2.GnuPG.signed.RPM.verification.fails.on.distribution.fil es]

From: Brian McWilliams (brian@pc-radio.com)
Date: 2001-10-23 17:54:34


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Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 20:54:34 -0400
Reply-To: iwar@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [iwar] [fc:Red.Hat.7.2.GnuPG.signed.RPM.verification.fails.on.distribution.fil es]
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Red Hat claims this is not a big deal:

http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/171431.html

But Seifried has just published a rebuttal that says it could be:

http://www.seifried.org/security/articles/20011023-devil-in-details.html

Brian


At 08:21 PM 10/23/01, you wrote:
>Kurt Seifried Security Advisory 002 (KSSA-002)
><a 
>href="http://www.seifried.org/security/advisories/kssa-002.html">http://www.seifried.org/security/advisories/kssa-002.html> 
>
>
>
>By Kurt Seifried, <a 
>href="mailto:kurt@seifried.org?Subject=Re:%20Red%20Hat%207.2%20GnuPG%20signed%20RPM%20verification%20fails%20on%20distribution%20files%2526In-Reply-To=%2526lt;002601c15ba3$972a1940$6400030a@seifried.org">kurt@seifried.org</a>
>- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>- ----------
>
>Title:
>Red Hat 7.2 GnuPG signed RPM verification fails on distribution files
>
>Issue date:
>Oct 23, 2001
>
>History of advisory:
>Oct 23, 2001 While downloading Red Hat 7.2 Kurt Seifried noticed
>various packages were not GnuPG signed.
>
>Author:
>Kurt Seifried <a 
>href="mailto:kurt@seifried.org?Subject=Re:%20Red%20Hat%207.2%20GnuPG%20signed%20RPM%20verification%20fails%20on%20distribution%20files%2526In-Reply-To=%2526lt;002601c15ba3$972a1940$6400030a@seifried.org">kurt@seifried.org</a> 
>
>
>
>Credits:
>N/A
>
>Overview:
>Red Hat 7.2 distribution files on popular ftp sites such as
>ftp.ibiblio.org and mirrors.hpcf.upr.edu are not signed. It is
>unlikely that this is an attack as the number of sites involved makes
>it likely someone would have noticed and notified the community.
>Either Red Hat did not sign these packages, or someone subverted the
>distribution process before the files got to various sites. For Red
>Hat 7.1 please note that all files were correctly signed with the Red
>Hat GnuPG security key.
>
>Vendor Contact:
><a 
>href="mailto:security@redhat.com?Subject=Re:%20Red%20Hat%207.2%20GnuPG%20signed%20RPM%20verification%20fails%20on%20distribution%20files%2526In-Reply-To=%2526lt;002601c15ba3$972a1940$6400030a@seifried.org">security@redhat.com</a>
>
>Impact:
>An attacker can create RPM's that will not appear any different from
>the real ones, as they do not need to be signed. Finding the MD5 sums
>of the files in trusted locations is very difficult (I cannot find
>any lists).
>
>Details:
>Red Hat has released Red Hat 7.2, a much anticipated release.
>Typically all the rpm distribution files are signed, making it very
>easy to verify their correctness. Since numerous packages are not
>signed it becomes trivial for an attacker to replace packages on a
>distribution site with no-one being able to easily verify that they
>have been subverted. An attacker would not even need to modify or add
>files to the package, instead they could add a preinstall,
>postinstall, preuninstall or postuninstall script that would be
>capable of compromising the system since these scripts run with root
>privileges. Packages include rpmdb-redhat and redhat-release.
>
>Solutions and workarounds:
>None available. Red Hat needs to sign the packages properly with
>GnuPG.
>
>References:
>N/A
>
>- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>- ----------
>
>Permission is granted for copying and circulating this Bulletin to
>the Internet community for the purpose of alerting them to problems,
>if and only if, the bulletin is not edited or changed in any way, is
>attributed to Kurt Seifried, and provided such reproduction and/or
>distribution is performed for non-commercial purposes.
>
>Any other use of this information is prohibited. Kurt Seifried is not
>liable for any misuse of this information by any third party.
>
>- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>- ----------
>
>Back
>
>Last updated 10/23/2001
>
>Copyright Kurt Seifried 2001
>
>Kurt Seifried, <a 
>href="mailto:kurt@seifried.org?Subject=Re:%20Red%20Hat%207.2%20GnuPG%20signed%20RPM%20verification%20fails%20on%20distribution%20files%2526In-Reply-To=%2526lt;002601c15ba3$972a1940$6400030a@seifried.org">kurt@seifried.org</a>
>A15B BEE5 B391 B9AD B0EF
>AEB0 AD63 0B4E AD56 E574
><a 
>href="http://www.seifried.org/security/">http://www.seifried.org/security/>
>
>
>------------------
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>
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