CESA-2002:195: tetex security update

Description

Updated packages for dvips are available which fix a vulnerability allowing print users to execute arbitrary commands. [Updated 13 Aug 2003] Added tetex-doc package that was originally left out of the errata.

The dvips utility converts DVI format into PostScript(TM), and is used in CentOS Linux as a print filter for printing DVI files. A vulnerability has been found in dvips which uses the system() function insecurely when managing fonts. Since dvips is used in a print filter, this allows local or remote attackers who have print access to carefully craft a print job that allows them to execute arbitrary code as the user 'lp'. A work around for this vulnerability is to remove the print filter for DVI files. The following commands, run as root, will accomplish this: rm -f /usr/share/printconf/mf_rules/mf40-tetex_filters rm -f /usr/lib/rhs/rhs-printfilters/dvi-to-ps.fpi However, to fix the problem in the dvips utility as well as remove the print filter we recommend that all users upgrade to the these packages contained within this erratum which contain a patch for this issue. This vulnerability was discovered by Olaf Kirch of SuSE. Additionally, the file /var/lib/texmf/ls-R had world-writable permissions. This issue is also fixed by the packages contained within this erratum.