An updated gedit package that fixes a file name format string vulnerability is now available. This update has been rated as having moderate security impact by the Red Hat Security Response Team
gEdit is a small text editor designed specifically for the GNOME GUI desktop. A file name format string vulnerability has been discovered in gEdit. It is possible for an attacker to create a file with a carefully crafted name which, when the file is opened, executes arbitrary instructions on a victim's machine. Although it is unlikely that a user would manually open a file with such a carefully crafted file name, a user could, for example, be tricked into opening such a file from within an email client. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CAN-2005-1686 to this issue. Users of gEdit should upgrade to this updated package, which contains a backported patch to correct this issue.
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