Updated mc packages that fix several security issues are now available for CentOS Linux 2.1. This update has been rated as having moderate security impact by the CentOS Security Response Team.
Midnight Commander is a visual shell much like a file manager. Several denial of service bugs were found in Midnight Commander. These bugs could cause Midnight Commander to hang or crash if a victim opens a carefully crafted file. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the names CAN-2004-1009, CAN-2004-1090, CAN-2004-1091, CAN-2004-1093 and CAN-2004-1174 to these issues. A filename quoting bug was found in Midnight Commander's FISH protocol handler. If a victim connects via embedded SSH support to a host containing a carefully crafted filename, arbitrary code may be executed as the user running Midnight Commander. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CAN-2004-1175 to this issue. A buffer overflow bug was found in the way Midnight Commander handles directory completion. If a victim uses completion on a maliciously crafted directory path, it is possible for arbitrary code to be executed as the user running Midnight Commander. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CAN-2005-0763 to this issue. Users of mc are advised to upgrade to these packages, which contain backported security patches to correct these issues.
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