ncompress: Buffer Underflow

1. Gentoo Linux Security Advisory

Advisory Reference	GLSA 200610-03 / ncompress
Release Date	October 06, 2006
Latest Revision	October 06, 2006: 01
Impact	normal
Exploitable	remote

Package	Vulnerable versions	Unaffected versions	Architecture(s)
app-arch/ncompress	< 4.2.4.1	>= 4.2.4.1	All supported architectures

Related bugreports: #141728

Synopsis

A buffer underflow vulnerability has been reported in ncompress allowing for the execution of arbitrary code.

2. Impact Information

Background

ncompress is a suite of utilities to create and extract Lempel-Ziff-Welch (LZW) compressed archives.

Description

Tavis Ormandy of the Google Security Team discovered a static buffer underflow in ncompress.

Impact

An attacker could create a specially crafted LZW archive, that when decompressed by a user or automated system would result in the execution of arbitrary code with the permissions of the user invoking the utility.

3. Resolution Information

Workaround

There is no known workaround at this time.

Resolution

All ncompress users should upgrade to the latest version:

Code Listing 3.1: Resolution

# emerge --sync
# emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose ">=app-arch/ncompress-4.2.4.1"

4. References

CVE-2006-1168

Page updated October 06, 2006

Summary: This is a Gentoo Linux Security Advisory

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