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Multiple Telnet clients fail to properly handle the "LINEMODE" SLC suboption

Vulnerability Note VU#291924

Original Release Date: 2005-03-29 | Last Revised: 2005-12-22

Overview

Multiple Telnet clients contain a data length validation flaw which may allow a server to induce arbitrary code execution on the client host.

Description

The Telnet network protocol is described in RFC854 and RFC855 as a general, bi-directional communications facility. The Telnet protocol is commonly used for command line login sessions between Internet hosts.

Many Telnet client implementations may be vulnerable to a flaw which may allow arbitrary code to be executed on the connected client. The Telnet server may supply a specially crafted reply containing a larger number of RFC1184 LINEMODE "Set Local Character" (SLC) suboption commands, which are not checked for proper length before being stored into a fixed length buffer. Affected Telnet clients possibly include the BSD Telnet implementation and the MIT Kerberos distribution.

The Telnet LINEMODE mode is enabled by default in a majority of modern Telnet clients and servers, and is often negotiated automatically before user input is required. Therefore, an attacker may be able to launch a vulnerable client, for example, through commands embedded in web pages such as an IFRAME with a "telnet:" URL, and exploit this flaw requiring only minimal or no user interaction.

Impact

A remote server may be able to execute arbitrary code under the permissions of the user running the Telnet client on the local host.

Solution

Apply an update from your vendor
Patches, updates, and fixes are available from multiple vendors.

As a workaround, the client may explicitly disable the LINEMODE mode before connecting in order to prevent LINEMODE command processing. In addition, as a best practice clients should never connect to unknown servers.

Vendor Information

291924
 

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References

Acknowledgements

Thanks to iDEFENSE Labs for reporting this vulnerability.

This document was written by Ken MacInnis.

Other Information

CVE IDs: CVE-2005-0469
Severity Metric: 12.60
Date Public: 2005-03-28
Date First Published: 2005-03-29
Date Last Updated: 2005-12-22 21:22 UTC
Document Revision: 29

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