Amazon Linux AMI : python27 (ALAS-2014-380)

medium Nessus Plugin ID 78323

Synopsis

The remote Amazon Linux AMI host is missing a security update.

Description

It was reported that Python built-in _json module have a flaw (insufficient bounds checking), which allows a local user to read current process' arbitrary memory.

Quoting the upstream bug report :

'The sole prerequisites of this attack are that the attacker is able to control or influence the two parameters of the default scanstring function: the string to be decoded and the index.

The bug is caused by allowing the user to supply a negative index value. The index value is then used directly as an index to an array in the C code; internally the address of the array and its index are added to each other in order to yield the address of the value that is desired. However, by supplying a negative index value and adding this to the address of the array, the processor's register value wraps around and the calculated value will point to a position in memory which isn't within the bounds of the supplied string, causing the function to access other parts of the process memory.'

Solution

Run 'yum update python27' to update your system.

See Also

https://bugs.python.org/issue21529

https://alas.aws.amazon.com/ALAS-2014-380.html

Plugin Details

Severity: Medium

ID: 78323

File Name: ala_ALAS-2014-380.nasl

Version: 1.6

Type: local

Agent: unix

Published: 10/12/2014

Updated: 11/19/2018

Supported Sensors: Frictionless Assessment AWS, Frictionless Assessment Agent, Nessus Agent, Agentless Assessment, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 4.4

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: Medium

Base Score: 4.3

Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: Medium

Base Score: 5.9

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Vulnerability Information

CPE: p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:python27, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:python27-debuginfo, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:python27-devel, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:python27-libs, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:python27-test, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:python27-tools, cpe:/o:amazon:linux

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/AmazonLinux/release, Host/AmazonLinux/rpm-list

Patch Publication Date: 9/19/2014

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2014-4616

ALAS: 2014-380