=========================================================================== CA-93:05 CERT Advisory February 24, 1993 OpenVMS and OpenVMS AXP Vulnerability --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The CERT Coordination Center has received information concerning a potential vulnerability with Digital Equipment Corporation's OpenVMS and OpenVMS AXP. This vulnerability is present in OpenVMS V5.0 through V5.5-2 and OpenVMS AXP V1.0 but has been corrected in OpenVMS V6.0 and OpenVMS AXP V1.5. The Software Security Response Team at Digital Equipment Corporation has provided the following information concerning this vulnerability. For additional information, please contact your local Digital Equipment Corporation customer service representative. Beginning of Text Provided by Digital Equipment Corporation ============================================================================== 23.FEB.1993 SOURCE: Digital Equipment Corporation AUTHOR: Software Security Response Team Colorado Springs USA PRODUCT: OpenVMS V5.0 through V5.5-2 & OpenVMS AXP V1.0 PROBLEM: Potential Security Vulnerability - OpenVMS SOLUTION: A remedial kit is now available for OpenVMS AXP V1.0 and OpenVMS V5.0 through V5.5-2 (including all SEVMS versions V5.1 through V5.5-2 as applicable) by contacting your normal Digital Services Support organization. SEVERITY LEVEL: High This potential vulnerability has been corrected in the next release of OpenVMS V6.0 and OpenVMS AXP V1.5. For VMS Versions prior to OpenVMS V5.0, Digital strongly recommends that you upgrade to a minimum of OpenVMS V5.0 and further, to the latest release of OpenVMS V5.5-2. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The remedial kits may be identified as: VAXSYS01_U2050 VMS V5.0, V5.0-1, V5.0-2 VAXSYS01_U1051 VMS V5.1 VAXSYS01_U1052 VMS V5.2 VAXSYS01_U2053 VMS V5.3 thru V5.3-2 VAXSYS01_U3054 VMS V5.4 thru V5.4-3 VAXSYS02_U2055 OpenVMS V5.5 thru V5.5-2 AXPSYS01_010 OpenVMS AXP V1.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright (c) Digital Equipment Corporation, 1993 All Rights Reserved. Published Rights Reserved Under The Copyright Laws Of The United States. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ADVISORY INFORMATION: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This update kit corrects a potential security vulnerability in the OpenVMS VAX and OpenVMS AXP operating systems. This potential vulnerability may be further exploited in the form of a malicious program that may allow authorized but unprivileged users to obtain all system privileges, potentially giving the unprivileged user control of your OpenVMS system and data. NOTE: The update kit must be applied if an update or installation is performed for all versions prior to OpenVMS V6.0 or OpenVMS AXP V1.5. For VMS Versions prior to OpenVMS V5.0, Digital strongly recommends that you upgrade to a minimum of OpenVMS V5.0 and further to the latest release of OpenVMS V5.5-2. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- INFORMATION: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digital strongly recommends that you install the available kit on your system(s), to avoid any potential vulnerability as a result of this problem. Customers with a Digital Services contract may obtain a kit for the affected versions of OpenVMS by contacting your normal support organizations. - In the U.S. Customers may contact the Customer Support Center at 1(800)354-9000 and request the appropriate kit for your version of OpenVMS, or through DSNlink Text Search database using the keyword text "Potential Security Vulnerability", or DSNlink VTX using the patch number 1084. - Customers in other geographies should contact their normal Digital Services support organizations. As always, Digital recommends you to regularly review your system management and security procedures. Digital will continue to review and enhance security features, and work with our customers to further improve the integrity of their systems. ============================================================================== End of Text Provided by Digital Equipment Corporation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The CERT Coordination Center wishes to thank Digital Equipment Corporation's Software Security Response Team for their response to this problem. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you believe that your system has been compromised, contact the CERT Coordination Center or your representative in FIRST (Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams). Internet E-mail: cert@cert.org Telephone: 412-268-7090 (24-hour hotline) CERT personnel answer 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. EST(GMT-5)/EDT(GMT-4), on call for emergencies during other hours. CERT Coordination Center Software Engineering Institute Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 Past advisories, information about FIRST representatives, and other information related to computer security are available for anonymous FTP from cert.org (192.88.209.5).