Sun server appliance open to attack: CERT

ZDNet ^ | 12 December 2002 | Patrick Gray

[Bush2000]

Sun server appliance open to attack: CERT

By Patrick Gray, ZDNet Australia
12 December 2002

Users of Sun’s RaQ 4 Server appliance have been warned in the latest CERT advisory of a serious vulnerability affecting the units.

"A remotely exploitable vulnerability has been discovered in Sun Cobalt RaQ 4 Server Appliances… may allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with superuser privileges," the CERT advisory said.

Ironically the vulnerability only affects Raq 4 units with Sun’s Security Hardening Patch (SHP) installed on them.

Perhaps of most concern is the fact that a technique for exploiting this vulnerability has already been developed, and the relevant code has been made available to the public. It’s been available from the SecuriTeam website since Saturday.

"An exploit is publicly available and may be circulating," the advisory said.

The CERT Advisory contains a link to Sun’s instructions on how to remove the SHP, however the link retrieves an "error opening document" message. The link to the "SHP Removal patch" is working.

CERT had made their "vulnerability notes" about the RaQ 4 unit public as far back as the 5th of December, however the full-blown advisory was not published until yesterday.

[Bush2000]

"Ironically the vulnerability only affects Raq 4 units with Sun’s Security Hardening Patch (SHP) installed on them."

I'm shocked, shocked, shocked!

[SpaceBar]

In other news, Microsoft releases the source code for their new operating system:

---

#include "EULA.h"
#include "NSA_libraries.h"
#include "Version_obsolecence.h"

char make_prog_look_big(2000000000);

main () {

if (detect_LINUX())
freeze;
if (detect_cache())
disable_cache();
if (fast_CPU())
set_wait_states(lots);

set_mouse(speed, very_slow);
set_mouse(action, jumpy);
set_mouse(reaction, sometimes);
set_icons(ugly);

display(Windoews_XP_Splash_screen);

while (1) {
sleep(5);
get_user_input();
sleep(5);
act_on_user_input();
sleep(5);
switch ( detect_condition() ) {
case NEW_WINDOEWS_VERSION_AVAILABLE:
trash_registry();
break;
case NEW_EULA_AVAILABLE:
trash_registry();
break;
case NORMAL:
system_memory = open("a:\swp0001.swp", O_CREATE);
break;
case IMPORTANT_WORD_DOCUMENT:
crash(BLUE_SCREEN_OF_DEATH);
break;
case PLAYING_MP3_FILE:
download("http://riaa.com/hollywood/fatcat/copyprotection.exe");
break;
case RUNNING_BENCHMARK:
adjust_time(APPEAR_SHORTER);
continue;
case LOOMING_MICROSHAFT_STOCK_OFFERING:
generate_document(ANALYST_RECOMMENDATION);
continue;
case RANDOM:
generate_error_number(RANDOM);
display_error_box();
freeze;
continue;
default:
download("http://www.microshaft.com/free/todaysvirus.exe");
}
}
return(trashed_system);
}

[Bush2000]

You guys are really going to have to get some new material. That joke was stale a couple years ago.

[Rifleman]

Yah, but it is still funny.

[Bush2000]

To halfwits, maybe. ;-p

[Rifleman]

To anyone who has to support a bunch of Windows machines and keep them working amd free of viri, worms and trojans and all the updates done.

[Bush2000]

To anyone who has to support a bunch of Windows machines and keep them working amd free of viri, worms and trojans and all the updates done.

See? You're no halfwit. ;-)

[TomServo]

Oops...;-)

[gcraig]

dude you rock. I was laughing my a$$ off. I guess you have to know C++. My wife looking at me with a weird look...