ADVISORY/Sendmail Issues Block To Prevent Attacks Through Linux Kernel Security Bug.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

ADVISORY...

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 9, 2000

What: A serious security bug has been discovered in the Linux kernel
    that allows local users to gain administrative (superuser or root)
    privileges and circumvent all security and permissions on that
    system. The problem stems from a vulnerability in the Linux kernel
    capability model and has been discovered in kernel versions 2.1
    and up, including version 2.2.15. The Linux bug allows programs to
    reestablish superuser privileges after they have been
    relinquished.

      Sendmail, Inc., provider of the ubiquitous Sendmail(R) Internet
    Mail platform -- which is widely deployed on Linux -- has been
    working closely with the sendmail consortium and Linux developers
    to identify the problem and has issued a fix that prevents
    exploit of the Linux vulnerability through sendmail. It can be
    accessed at the following URL:

      http://sendmail.net/?feed=000607linuxbug

      This is not a Sendmail security issue, but rather a Linux issue
    that can be taken advantage of through the sendmail program. At
    this time, no serious or wide-scale break-ins have been reported.