Security Update 2003-08-14 Released

Delta-9 writes "Today, Apple released Security Update 2003-08-14, which 'addresses a potential vulnerability in the fb_realpath() function which could allow a local or remote user to gain unauthorized root privileges to a system.'" It's on Software Update, and will likely soon appear on the support downloads page.

Comments

Good work Apple

[wyvern5]

Nice to see Apple is responding more quickly to security problems. I didn't even hear about this through my regular channels until after I had seen the update in Software Update.

Re:Some info about the vulnerability

[Anonymous Coward]

The FTP server included with Jaguar and Panther is lukemftpd, not wu-ftpd.

But that's okay. Don't let the facts get in the way of your skreed. Carry on.

Ok, people. I'm really sorry.

[remahl]

It looks like I jumped the gun on this...On several levels...

First, wu-ftpd is not the ftp server in Mac OS X. lukemftpd is.

Second, the most relevant advisory is not the quoted one, but this one (which previously appeared on Slashdot): FreeBSD-SA-03:08.realpath.

As the name implies, the bug originates from FreeBSD, and potentially leaves a long list of programs vulnerable (listed in the advisory).

This means that the problem is broader than my original message anticipated. It means that other remote services may be vulnerable, including sftp.

Thanks to the anonymous user who brought my attention to my (pretty bad) mistake.

Please spread this information instead of the wrongful information in the parent post. Mod parent down.

Re:Some info about the vulnerability

[zpok]

The advisory was posted some full two weeks ago, meaning that Apple was not as quick to respond as they normally are.

The East Coast has reverted to the stone age, my Windows machine is insulting me, but there's Apple with another Security Update for a *potential* weakness...

Damn, you've got to admire their timing ;-)