8th Apr 2003 [SBWID-6118]
COMMAND
metrics insecure temporary file creation
SYSTEMS AFFECTED
version 1.0
PROBLEM
In Debian Security Advisory DSA 279-1 :
Paul Szabo and Matt Zimmerman discoverd two similar problems in
metrics, a tools for software metrics. Two scripts in this package,
"halstead" and "gather_stats", open temporary files without taking
appropriate security precautions. "halstead" is installed as a user
program, while "gather_stats" is only used in an auxiliary script
included in the source code. These vulnerabilities could allow a local
attacker to overwrite files owned by the user running the scripts,
including root.
SOLUTION
The stable distribution (woody) is not affected since it doesn't
contain a metrics package anymore.
For the old stable distribution (potato) this problem has been fixed in
version 1.0-1.1.
The unstable distribution (sid) is not affected since it doesn't
contain a metrics package anymore.