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CA-91:17                        CERT Advisory
                              September 26, 1991
                      DECnet-Internet Gateway Vulnerability

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The Computer Emergency Response Team/Coordination Center (CERT/CC) has
received information concerning a vulnerability in the configuration of
the DECnet-Internet gateway software for Digital Equipment Corporation's 
(DEC) ULTRIX versions 4.0, 4.1, and 4.2 on all Digital architectures.

Digital Equipment Corporation is aware of this problem and a resolution
for this vulnerability will be included in a future release.  Digital
and the CERT/CC strongly recommend that sites exposed to this vulnerability 
immediately institute the workaround detailed in this advisory.

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I.   Description

     When installing the DECnet-Internet gateway software it is necessary to
     create a guest account on the ULTRIX gateway host.  By default, this
     account has /bin/csh as its shell.  By virtue of the guest account
     having a valid shell, the DECnet-Internet gateway software can be
     exploited to allow unauthorized root access.

II.  Impact

     Anyone using the DECnet-Internet gateway can gain unauthorized
     root privileges on the ULTRIX gateway host.

III. Solution
        
     This section describes a workaround for this vulnerability.

     Disable the guest account by editing the /etc/passwd file and setting
     the shell field for the guest account to /bin/false.  Also, ensure the 
     guest account has the string "NoLogin" in the password field as detailed
     in the DECnet-Internet installation manual.  

     Even if you have not installed or are not running the DECnet-
     Internet gateway software, Digital recommends that you implement the
     workaround solution stated above.

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The CERT/CC wishes to thank R. Scott Butler of the Du Pont Company for 
bringing this vulnerability to our attention and for his further 
assistance with the temporary workaround.
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If you believe that your system has been compromised, contact CERT/CC via
telephone or e-mail.

Computer Emergency Response Team/Coordination Center (CERT/CC)
Software Engineering Institute
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890

Internet E-mail: cert@cert.org
Telephone: 412-268-7090 24-hour hotline:
           CERT/CC personnel answer 7:30a.m.-6:00p.m. EST/EDT,
           on call for emergencies during other hours.

Past advisories and other computer security related information are available
for anonymous ftp from the cert.org (192.88.209.5) system.


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