[Am-info] RedHat Linux IPTables Save Option Unrestorable Rules Vulnerability

[Fred A. Miller]

RedHat Linux IPTables Save Option Unrestorable Rules Vulnerability
BugTraq ID: 3520
Remote: Yes
Date Published: Nov 08 2001 12:00A
Relevant URL:
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/3520
Summary:

Red Hat Linux is a freely available, Open Source clone of the Unix
Operating System.  It is distributed and maintained by Red Hat
Incorporated.

A problem with the firewall infrastructure included with the Operating
System could make it possible for a administrator to unknowingly expose a
system to unnecessary risk.

The problem is in the save format used by the iptables program.  iptables
will create a save file of the current active ruleset when the -c option
is used.  When an administrator attempts to save a firewall ruleset to
file, the format in which the ruleset is saved is not one that can be
understood by iptables when an attempt to reload the saved ruleset is
made.

An administrator saving a firewall configuration to a file that will be
loaded by the system on the next reboot will leave the system unprotected.
This could result in a remote user gaining access to sensitive services on
a system, and potentially local access or elevated privileges on systems
that have been deployed insecurely.

-- 
Fred A. Miller
Systems Administrator
Cornell Univ. Press Services
fm@cupserv.org