The isag utility, which processes sysstat data, allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on temporary files, a different vulnerability than CAN-2004-0107.

Alan Cox discovered that the isag utility (which graphically displays data collected by the sysstat tools), creates a temporary file without taking proper precautions. This vulnerability could allow a local attacker to overwrite files with the privileges of the user invoking isag.

The remote host is affected by the vulnerability described in GLSA-200404-04 (Multiple vulnerabilities in sysstat)

    There are two vulnerabilities in the way sysstat handles symlinks:
    The isag utility, which displays sysstat data in a graphical format,     creates a temporary file in an insecure manner.
    Two scripts in the sysstat package, post and trigger, create temporary     files in an insecure manner.
  Impact :

    Both vulnerabilities may allow an attacker to overwrite arbitrary files     under the permissions of the user executing any of the affected     utilities.
  Workaround :

    A workaround is not currently known for this issue. All users are advised     to upgrade to the latest version of the affected package.

Updated sysstat packages that fix various bugs and security issues are now available.

Sysstat is a tool for gathering system statistics. Isag is a utility for graphically displaying these statistics.

A bug was found in the Red Hat sysstat package post and trigger scripts, which used insecure temporary file names. A local attacker could overwrite system files using carefully-crafted symbolic links in the /tmp directory. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CVE-2004-0107 to this issue.

While fixing this issue, a flaw was discovered in the isag utility, which also used insecure temporary file names. A local attacker could overwrite files that the user running isag has write access to using carefully-crafted symbolic links in the /tmp directory. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CVE-2004-0108 to this issue.

Other issues addressed in this advisory include :

* iostat -x should return all partitions on the system (up to a maximum of 1024)

* sar should handle network device names with more than 8 characters properly

* mpstat should work correctly with more than 7 CPUs as well as generate correct statistics when accessing individual CPUs. This issue only affected Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1

* The sysstat package was not built with the proper dependencies;
therefore, it was possible that isag could not be run because the necessary tools were not available. Therefore, isag was split off into its own subpackage with the required dependencies in place. This issue only affects Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1.

Users of sysstat and isag should upgrade to these updated packages, which contain patches to correct these issues.

NOTE: In order to use isag on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1, you must install the sysstat-isag package after upgrading.

ID	Name	Product	Family	Severity
15297	Debian DSA-460-1 : sysstat - insecure temporary file	Nessus	Debian Local Security Checks	medium
14469	GLSA-200404-04 : Multiple vulnerabilities in sysstat	Nessus	Gentoo Local Security Checks	medium
12462	RHEL 2.1 / 3 : sysstat (RHSA-2004:053)	Nessus	Red Hat Local Security Checks	medium

Detections

Analytics

CVE-2004-0108

medium

Tenable Plugins

medium

medium

medium