Note: This is an archival copy of Security Sun Alert 267031 as previously published on http://sunsolve.sun.com.
Latest version of this security advisory is available from http://support.oracle.com as Sun Alert 1020905.1.
Article ID : 1020905.1
Article Type : Sun Alerts (SURE)
Last reviewed : 2009-10-12
Audience : PUBLIC
Copyright Notice: Copyright © 2010, Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates.

Heap Overflow in a Regular Expression Parser in Network Security Services (NSS) may Affect SSL Clients (CVE-2009-2404)



Category
Security

Release Phase
Resolved

Bug Id
6874719

Product
Solaris 9 Operating System
Solaris 10 Operating System
Sun Java Enterprise System 5
Sun Java Enterprise System 2005

Date of Resolved Release
13-Oct-2009

A heap overflow vulnerability in Network Security Services (NSS):

1. Impact

A heap overflow vulnerability in Network Security Services (NSS) may allow a remote SSL server to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) to SSL client applications or to possibly execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the SSL client application, via a long domain name in the subject's Common Name (CN) field of an X.509 certificate, related to the "cert_TestHostName" function.

Firefox, Thunderbird, Pidgin and Evolution are examples of vulnerable SSL client applications.

This issue is also described in the following document:

    CVE-2009-2404 at: http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2009-2404

2. Contributing Factors

This issue can occur in the following releases:

SPARC Platform
  • Solaris 9 without patch 119211-21
  • Solaris 10 without patch 119213-20
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 (for Solaris 8) without patch 119209-21
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 (for Solaris 9) without patch 119211-21
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 (for Solaris 10) without patch 119213-20
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 5 without patch 125358-09
x86 Platform
  • Solaris 9 without patch 119212-21
  • Solaris 10 without patch 119214-20
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 (for Solaris 9) without patch 119212-21
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 (for Solaris 10) without patch 119214-20
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 5 without patch 125359-09
Linux Platform
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 and Sun Java Enterprise System 5 (for RHEL2.1 and RHEL3.0) without patch 142506-02
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 5 (for RHEL4.0 and RHEL5.0) without patch 121656-20
HP-UX
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 and Sun Java Enterprise System 5 without patch 124379-11
Windows Platform
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 without patch 124392-10
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 5 without patch 125923-09
Note 1: Sun Java Enterprise System is not supported on Solaris 8 x86.

Note 2: To determine if a package or a patch is installed on a system, follow these instructions:

Solaris Platform

To determine if the package SUNWtls is installed, the following command may be used:
    $ /usr/bin/pkginfo -l SUNWtls
Linux Platform
To determine if the package "sun-nss" is installed and the version of the installed package, the following command may be used:
    $ /bin/rpm -q sun-nss
Note: Linux "sun-nss" packages 3.12.2 and earlier are vulnerable to this issue.

HP-UX Platform

To determine if the package "sun-nss" is installed, the following command may be used:
    $ /usr/sbin/swlist sun-nss
To determine which patch level for "sun-nss" is installed, the following command may be used:
    $ /usr/sbin/swlist 124379\*
Windows Platform

To determine if "Sun Java Enterprise System" is installed, look into "Add or Remove Programs" from the "Control Panel" and check if "Sun Java(TM) Enterprise System 2005Q4" or"Sun Java(TM) Enterprise System 5" is listed as being currently installed.

To determine the list of JES patches installed on the system, the following command may be used:
    <JES installation directory>\utils\patch\ListJavaESPatches.exe
Note 3: All systems with NSS versions prior to NSS 3.12.3 are potentially vulnerable to this issue.

Systems with NSS 3.12.3 using the environment variable named "NSS_USE_SHEXP_IN_CERT_NAME" are also potentially vulnerable.

Systems with NSS 3.12.3 NOT using the environment variable named "NSS_USE_SHEXP_IN_CERT_NAME" are NOT vulnerable.

Systems with NSS 3.12.4 (and later versions), wether or not using the environment variable named "NSS_USE_SHEXP_IN_CERT_NAME", are NOT vulnerable.

3. Symptoms

There are no symptoms that would indicate the described issue has been exploited to execute abitrary code. A crafted X.509 certificate which may trigger the vulnerability would contain an unusually long domain name in the Common Name (CN) field.

4. Workaround

To work around the described issue on systems with NSS 3.12.3 only, do not set the "NSS_USE_SHEXP_IN_CERT_NAME" environment variable.

5. Resolution

This issue is addressed in the following releases WITHOUT the environment variable NSS_USE_SHEXP_IN_CERT_NAME set:

SPARC Platform
  • Solaris 9 with patch 119211-21 or later
  • Solaris 10 with patch 119213-20 or later
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 (for Solaris 8) with patch 119209-21 or later
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 (for Solaris 9) with patch 119211-21 or later
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 (for Solaris 10) with patch 119213-20 or later
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 5 with patch 125358-09 or later
x86 Platform
  • Solaris 9 with patch 119212-21 or later
  • Solaris 10 with patch 119214-20 or later
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 (for Solaris 9) with patch 119212-21 or later
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 (for Solaris 10) with patch 119214-20 or later
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 5 with patch 125359-09 or later
Linux Platform
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 and Sun Java Enterprise System 5 (for RHEL2.1 and RHEL3.0) with patch 142506-02 or later
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 5 (for RHEL4.0 and RHEL5.0) with patch 121656-20 or later
HP-UX
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 and Sun Java Enterprise System 5 with patch 124379-11 or later
Windows Platform
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q4 with patch 124392-10 or later
  • Sun Java Enterprise System 5 with patch 125923-09 or later

For more information on Security Sun Alerts, see 1009886.1.

This Sun Alert notification is being provided to you on an "AS IS" basis. This Sun Alert notification may contain information provided by third parties. The issues described in this Sun Alert notification may or may not impact your system(s). Sun makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees as to the information contained herein. ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT, ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED. BY ACCESSING THIS DOCUMENT YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SUN SHALL IN NO EVENT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES THAT ARISE OUT OF YOUR USE OR FAILURE TO USE THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. This Sun Alert notification contains Sun proprietary and confidential information. It is being provided to you pursuant to the provisions of your agreement to purchase services from Sun, or, if you do not have such an agreement, the Sun.com Terms of Use. This Sun Alert notification may only be used for the purposes contemplated by these agreements.

Copyright 2000-2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc., 4150 Network Circle, Santa Clara, CA 95054 U.S.A. All rights reserved.


References

119209-21
119211-21
119212-21
119213-20
119214-20
121656-20
142506-02
124379-11
125358-09
125359-09
124392-10
125923-09





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