Bug#329156: /usr/sbin/gnome-pty-helper: writes arbitrary utmp records

[Steve Langasek]

On Tue, Sep 20, 2005 at 09:01:20AM +1000, Paul Szabo wrote:
> Package: libzvt2
> Version: 1.4.2-19
> Severity: critical
> File: /usr/sbin/gnome-pty-helper
> Justification: root security hole

> gnome-pty-helper can be made to write utmp/wtmp records with arbitrary
> DISPLAY (host) settings. I am not sure if it can be tricked into erasing
> existing records.

Why is this filed at severity: critical?  What is the attack vector here
which permits root privilege escalation?

-- 
Steve Langasek                   Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer                   to set it on, and I can move the world.
vorlon at debian.org                                   http://www.debian.org/
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