Kernel Exploit Cause Of Debian Compromise

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Kernel Exploit Cause Of Debian Compromise

Posted by simoniker on Monday December 1, 2003 @09:40AM from the slightly-disturbing dept.

mbanck writes "The cause of the recent Debian Project server compromise has been published by the Debian security team: 'Forensics revealed a burneye encrypted exploit. Robert van der Meulen managed to decrypt the binary which revealed a kernel exploit. Study of the exploit by the RedHat and SuSE kernel and security teams quickly revealed that the exploit used an integer overflow in the brk system call. Using this bug it is possible for a userland program to trick the kernel into giving access to the full kernel address space'. This issue has been fixed in 2.4.23. Thus, the Linux kernel compromise was not Debian specific."

16 of 673 comments (clear)

Shows the dangers of C by Anonymous Coward · 2003-12-01 09:42 · Score: 4, Funny

If the kernel was coded in visual basic, this wouldn't be happening.
1. Re:Shows the dangers of C by stefanlasiewski · 2003-12-01 09:54 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  By 'this' do you mean the exploit wouldn't be happening? Or the Kernel?
  
  --
  "Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."
2. Re:Shows the dangers of C by Lussarn · 2003-12-01 11:03 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Why not Brainfuck
  
  If you can't read your own code who else can..
what kind of person... by potpie · 2003-12-01 09:43 · Score: 5, Funny

What kind of person spends that much time trying to find exploits in operating system kernels? Likewise, why do I spend so much time on www.thinkgeek.com/fortune.shtml? We are a sad people.

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Esoteric reference.
Userland exploits by Hayzeus · 2003-12-01 09:44 · Score: 5, Funny

The evidence mounts: users should be eliminated.

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Roving Web-Teleoperated Robot
Yup by ENOENT · 2003-12-01 09:49 · Score: 4, Funny

Just like Nancy Reagan said: Users are Losers.

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That's "Mr. Soulless Automaton" to you, Bub.
Well then they'd better get some help by Hal+The+Computer · 2003-12-01 09:51 · Score: 5, Funny
CLIPPY:
You appear to be trying to write a kernel. Do you want to:
- Automatically make sure the Visula Basic DLL is included in your program?
- Answer some questions and have me generate a nice windows kernel for you?
- Straigten me, and turn me into a very attractive piece of modern art?
--
int main(void){int x=01232;while(malloc(x));return x;}
There goes my Saturday by mariox19 · 2003-12-01 09:59 · Score: 5, Funny

I had just convinced myself there was no compelling reason to upgrade my kernel from 2.4.22.

Actually, there still isn't, since the likelihood of my machine "coming under attack" is slight. But, what's the point of running Linux if you're not going to get all worked up over things like this ;-)

Happy make menuconfig to all!

--
quiquid id est, timeo puellas et oscula dantes.
Re:A shift of focus by Anonymous Coward · 2003-12-01 10:00 · Score: 5, Funny

It's fun to see how security research shifted from applications to kernels lately.

Fun!? You must be Klingon.
Re:Hmm, Methinks I've Heard this theme before by RetroGeek · 2003-12-01 10:08 · Score: 5, Funny

Several million others that I missed, which courteous slashdotters will point out.

I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that...

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- - - - - - - - - - -
I am a programmer. I am paid to produce syntax not grammar. Deal with it.
Re:How did they get in to run a userspace util? by g1zmo · 2003-12-01 10:13 · Score: 5, Funny

I believe an earlier article said that it appeared that he sniffed a password to the box.

Or perhaps "she" sniffed a password?

I refuse to believe that the really hot, Debian-using, password-sniffing, root-exploiting geek girl is a myth.

--
I have found there are just two ways to go.
It all comes down to livin' fast or dyin' slow. -REK, Jr.
Kicking it up a notch. by _Sprocket_ · 2003-12-01 10:20 · Score: 5, Funny

And they call Windows unsecure. How does crow taste, Slashdot?

Pretty good if you know how to spice it right. The trick is, knowing you've got crow to eat. How's that mystery meat you're chewing on?

(there's a joke about feeding trolls to be made in this somewhere)
Up 107 days... by jehreg · 2003-12-01 10:21 · Score: 5, Funny

kc grub # uptime 17:21:06 up 107 days, 22:45, 1 user, load average: 0.35, 0.82, 0.47
Great..... there goes my uptime.....
If I have to reboot more than once per year, I'm switching to Windows.
Re:A shift of focus by Frymaster · 2003-12-01 10:25 · Score: 5, Funny

what i want to know is...
does this code belong to sco?

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2 1337 4 u!
Re:A shift of focus by Sloppy · 2003-12-01 10:56 · Score: 4, Funny

That's why all the smart admins have been migrating their servers over to the best platform for the job: XBox.

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As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
Re:A shift of focus by Anonymous Coward · 2003-12-01 11:16 · Score: 5, Funny

"Fun!? You must be Klingon."

Today is a good day to get rooted.