lynx 2.8.6dev.15 and earlier, when advanced mode is enabled and lynx is configured as a URL handler, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted lynxcgi: URL, a related issue to CVE-2005-2929. NOTE: this might only be a vulnerability in limited deployments that have defined a lynxcgi: handler.

From Red Hat Security Advisory 2008:0965 :

An updated lynx package that corrects two security issues is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1, 3, 4, and 5.

This update has been rated as having important security impact by the Red Hat Security Response Team.

Lynx is a text-based Web browser.

An arbitrary command execution flaw was found in the Lynx 'lynxcgi:' URI handler. An attacker could create a web page redirecting to a malicious URL that could execute arbitrary code as the user running Lynx in the non-default 'Advanced' user mode. (CVE-2008-4690)

Note: In these updated lynx packages, Lynx will always prompt users before loading a 'lynxcgi:' URI. Additionally, the default lynx.cfg configuration file now marks all 'lynxcgi:' URIs as untrusted by default.

A flaw was found in a way Lynx handled '.mailcap' and '.mime.types' configuration files. Files in the browser's current working directory were opened before those in the user's home directory. A local attacker, able to convince a user to run Lynx in a directory under their control, could possibly execute arbitrary commands as the user running Lynx. (CVE-2006-7234)

All users of Lynx are advised to upgrade to this updated package, which contains backported patches correcting these issues.

An arbitrary command execution flaw was found in the Lynx 'lynxcgi:' URI handler. An attacker could create a web page redirecting to a malicious URL that could execute arbitrary code as the user running Lynx in the non-default 'Advanced' user mode. (CVE-2008-4690)

Note: In these updated lynx packages, Lynx will always prompt users before loading a 'lynxcgi:' URI. Additionally, the default lynx.cfg configuration file now marks all 'lynxcgi:' URIs as untrusted by default.

A flaw was found in a way Lynx handled '.mailcap' and '.mime.types' configuration files. Files in the browser's current working directory were opened before those in the user's home directory. A local attacker, able to convince a user to run Lynx in a directory under their control, could possibly execute arbitrary commands as the user running Lynx. (CVE-2006-7234)

The remote host is affected by the vulnerability described in GLSA-200909-15 (Lynx: Arbitrary command execution)

    Clint Ruoho reported that the fix for CVE-2005-2929 (GLSA 200511-09)     only disabled the lynxcgi:// handler when not using the advanced mode.
  Impact :

    A remote attacker can entice a user to access a malicious HTTP server,     causing Lynx to execute arbitrary commands. NOTE: The advanced mode is     not enabled by default. Successful exploitation requires the     'lynxcgi://' protocol to be registered with lynx on the victim's     system.
  Workaround :

    There is no known workaround at this time.

This update of lynx fixes a security bug that can be exploited by remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands when advanced mode is enabled and lynx is used as URL handler (CVE-2008-4690)

A vulnerability was found in the Lynxcgi: URI handler that could allow an attacker to create a web page redirecting to a malicious URL that would execute arbitrary code as the user running Lynx, if they were using the non-default Advanced user mode (CVE-2008-4690).

This update corrects these issues and, in addition, makes Lynx always prompt the user before loading a lynxcgi: URI. As well, the default lynx.cfg configuration file marks all lynxcgi: URIs as untrusted.

- Fri Nov 7 2008 Jiri Moskovcak <jmoskovc at redhat.com> -     2.8.6-18

    - Fixed CVE-2008-4690 lynx: remote arbitrary command       execution. via a crafted lynxcgi: URL (thoger)

Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.

- Mon Nov 10 2008 Jiri Moskovcak <jmoskovc at redhat.com>
    - 2.8.6-12

    - Fixed CVE-2008-4690 lynx: remote arbitrary command       execution. via a crafted lynxcgi: URL (thoger)

  - Fri May 30 2008 Jiri Moskovcak <jmoskovc at redhat.com>
    - 2.8.6-11

    - updated to latest upstream version 2.8.6rel5

    - Resolves: #214205

    - Wed Jan 9 2008 Jiri Moskovcak <jmoskovc at redhat.com>
      - 2.8.6-10

    - added telnet, rsh, zip and unzip to BuildRequires

    - Resolves: #430508

    - Wed Jan 9 2008 Jiri Moskovcak <jmoskovc at redhat.com>
      - 2.8.6-9

    - fixed crash when using formatting character '$' in       translation

    - Resolves: #426449

    - Tue Dec 11 2007 Ivana Varekova <varekova at       redhat.com> - 2.8.6-8

    - add default-colors option, change default setting       (#409211)

Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.

- Mon Nov 10 2008 Jiri Moskovcak <jmoskovc at redhat.com>     2.8.6-17

    - Fixed CVE-2008-4690 lynx: remote arbitrary command       execution. via a crafted lynxcgi: URL (thoger)

  - Fri May 30 2008 Jiri Moskovcak <jmoskovc at redhat.com>     2.8.6-16

    - updated to latest stable upstream version 2.8.6rel5

    - Fri May 23 2008 Dennis Gilmore <dennis at ausil.us> -       2.8.6-15.1

    - minor rebuild on sparc

    - Sat May 17 2008 Dennis Gilmore <dennis at ausil.us> -       2.8.6-15

    - even with the patches it still built wrong in koji.

    - limit -j to 24 for sparc

    - Thu May 8 2008 Dennis Gilmore <dennis at ausil.us> -       2.8.6-14

    - patch from ajax to fix parallel builds

    - additional patch from me for parallel builds

    - set default home page to start.fedoraproject.org

Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.

An updated lynx package that corrects two security issues is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1, 3, 4, and 5.

This update has been rated as having important security impact by the Red Hat Security Response Team.

Lynx is a text-based Web browser.

An arbitrary command execution flaw was found in the Lynx 'lynxcgi:' URI handler. An attacker could create a web page redirecting to a malicious URL that could execute arbitrary code as the user running Lynx in the non-default 'Advanced' user mode. (CVE-2008-4690)

Note: In these updated lynx packages, Lynx will always prompt users before loading a 'lynxcgi:' URI. Additionally, the default lynx.cfg configuration file now marks all 'lynxcgi:' URIs as untrusted by default.

A flaw was found in a way Lynx handled '.mailcap' and '.mime.types' configuration files. Files in the browser's current working directory were opened before those in the user's home directory. A local attacker, able to convince a user to run Lynx in a directory under their control, could possibly execute arbitrary commands as the user running Lynx. (CVE-2006-7234)

All users of Lynx are advised to upgrade to this updated package, which contains backported patches correcting these issues.

ID	Name	Product	Family	Severity
67759	Oracle Linux 3 / 4 / 5 : lynx (ELSA-2008-0965)	Nessus	Oracle Linux Local Security Checks	critical
60486	Scientific Linux Security Update : lynx on SL3.x, SL4.x, SL5.x i386/x86_64	Nessus	Scientific Linux Local Security Checks	critical
40962	GLSA-200909-15 : Lynx: Arbitrary command execution	Nessus	Gentoo Local Security Checks	critical
40062	openSUSE Security Update : lynx (lynx-275)	Nessus	SuSE Local Security Checks	critical
38035	Mandriva Linux Security Advisory : lynx (MDVSA-2008:218)	Nessus	Mandriva Local Security Checks	critical
37326	Fedora 10 : lynx-2.8.6-18.fc10 (2008-9952)	Nessus	Fedora Local Security Checks	critical
35017	Fedora 8 : lynx-2.8.6-12.fc8 (2008-9597)	Nessus	Fedora Local Security Checks	critical
35016	Fedora 9 : lynx-2.8.6-17.fc9 (2008-9550)	Nessus	Fedora Local Security Checks	critical
34984	openSUSE 10 Security Update : lynx (lynx-5720)	Nessus	SuSE Local Security Checks	critical
34505	RHEL 2.1 / 3 / 4 / 5 : lynx (RHSA-2008:0965)	Nessus	Red Hat Local Security Checks	critical
34503	CentOS 3 / 4 / 5 : lynx (CESA-2008:0965)	Nessus	CentOS Local Security Checks	critical

Detections

Analytics

CVE-2008-4690

critical

Tenable Plugins

critical

critical

critical

critical

critical

critical

critical

critical

critical

critical

critical