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Security bulletin

Patch available for ColdFusion MX 7 local privilege escalation

Release date: October 10, 2006

Vulnerability identifier: APSB06-17

CVE number: CVE-2006-3978

Platform: All Platforms

Affected software versions

ColdFusion MX 7, ColdFusion MX 7.0.1, and ColdFusion MX 7.0.2

Summary

A potential vulnerability in a third party library could allow a malicious local user to execute arbitrary code with the privilege level of the local SYSTEM. A malicious user must first be able to run code locally on the server to take advantage of the vulnerability.

Solution

Adobe recommends ColdFusion users apply the following update using the installation instructions below. Alternatively, instructions for disabling the library are available below under the heading Disabling the Verity library.

Windows:

1. Stop all ColdFusion services.
2. Make a backup of your existing verity directory cfroot\verity by copying cfroot\verity to cfroot\verity_backup:
   • Open a DOS window
   • enter xcopy /S c:\CfusionMX7\verity c:\CfusionMX7\verity_backup and hit return
3. Unzip verity_security_update_windows.zip into cfroot\verity. Make sure to unzip using directory names. Select 'Use folder names' when using winzip or use similar options with other zip utilities. Allow all existing files to be overwritten.
4. Restart all ColdFusion services.
   Note cfroot by default is C:\CFusionMX7 for the server version. But, in a JRun or J2EE installation verity is installed into a separate directory of your choosing. That directory should be used in place of cfroot.

Uninstall instructions for patch:

1. Stop all ColdFusion services.
2. Delete cfroot\verity.
3. Rename cfroot\verity_backup to cfroot\verity.

Linux and Solaris:

1. Stop all ColdFusion services.
2. Make a backup of your existing verity directory cfroot\verity by copying cfroot\verity to cfroot\verity_backup. For example run cp -fR /opt/coldfusionmx7/verity /opt/coldfusionmx7/verity_backup.
3. Copy the archive file to cfroot/verity.
4. Unzip and untar the update archive (Linux or Solaris) into cfroot/verity:
   verity_security_update_solaris.tar.gz
   verity_security_update_linux.tar.gz
5. All executable files should have permissions of 755. Text files should have permissions of 444.
6. Restart ColdFusion.

Uninstall instructions for patch:

1. Stop all ColdFusion services
2. Delete cfroot\verity
3. Rename/move cfroot\verity_backup to cfroot\verity

Disabling the Verity Library:

The ColdFusion MX 7 J2EE requires a separate installation of the Verity search engine. ColdFusion MX 7 J2EE users should simply not install it or uninstall it, if it is already installed.

Windows:
Open the services msc applet and stop, "ColdFusion MX 7 Search Server". Set the service to manual or disabled.

Users can also run cfmx_root\verity\verity-uninstall.bat to remove the configuration.

Linux:
Run cfmx_root/bin/cfmx7search stop.

Remove cfmx7search from etc/rc.d/init.d, if server was configured to start Verity upon boot.

Users can run cfmx_root/verity/verity_uninstall.sh to remove the Verity configuration.

Solaris:
Run cfmx_root/bin/cfmx7search stop.

Remove any startup script for cfmx7search, if server was configured to start Verity upon boot.

Users can run cfmx_root/verity/verity_uninstall.sh to remove the Verity configuration.

Severity rating

Adobe categorizes this as an important issue and recommends affected users patch their installations.

Details

Multiple input validation errors exist in a third party service installed with ColdFusion. By default, the service runs with the privilege level of the local SYSTEM account. By issuing specially crafted commands within the client software for the third-party library, a local user could potentially run commands with the SYSTEM privilege level. This issue is not remotely exploitable.

Acknowledgements

Adobe would like to thank Information Risk Management Plc. for reporting this vulnerability and for working with us to help protect our customers' security.

Adobe disclaimer

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