Great Circle Associates Firewalls
(December 1996)
 

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Subject: Re: VERIFY and EXPAND on Mail Thru Firewall
From: Bob Beck <beck @ obtuse . com>
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 17:48:46 -0700 (MST)
To: whg @ inel . gov (Bill Gray)
Cc: firewalls-digest @ GreatCircle . COM
In-reply-to: <32A88D70 . 21D2 @ inel . gov> from "Bill Gray" at Dec 6, 96 02:17:36 pm

> 
> toon @
 cem-bb .
 e-mail .
 com wrote:
> >Some1 told me that 'I have to filter out VERIFY and EXPAND when letting 
> >mail through my firewall'. Can some1 explain me what this means?
> 

> 
> >BACKGROUND: The vulnerability is exploited through the use of the SMTP
> >"EXPN" and "VRFY" commands offered by all versions of "sendmail."  A
> >buffer-overrun problem is present in the implementation of these
> >commands that allows the executable code of the "sendmail" process to
> >be overwritten.  This executable code can do anything the author
> >wants, and is run with super-user permissions.
> 
> This can be fixed by patching the sendmail binary;  the CIAC bulletin
> has directions on how to do this.  Alternatively,  use an appropriate
> (8.6.10 or later) version of sendmail.


	Until the next time they add some creeping featureism that
is implemented sloppily so you can overrun a buffer. Hmm.. that can't
happen that often with sendmail can it? ;-)

	Seriously though the point is that VRFY and EXPAND can be used
by an attacker to get potentially useful information. Run a
store-forward proxy like smtpd/smtpfwdd or smapd/smap upstream of your
"real" sendmail/Big-Honking-MTA-of-The-Week. Then you have much less
concern about either problem.

	-Bob

--
Bob Beck					 Obtuse Systems Corporation
beck @
 obtuse .
 com					 http://www.obtuse.com/	
True Evil hides its real intentions in its street address. Search and you
shall find it, and the truth shall set you free.

    



	

	


References:
Indexed By Date Previous: Re: Can You Believe It?
From: Scott Cokely <Scott . Cokely @ tus . ssi1 . COM>
Next: Re: Can You Believe It?
From: Darrell Fuhriman <darrell @ grumblesmurf . net>
Indexed By Thread Previous: VERIFY and EXPAND on Mail Thru Firewall
From: Bill Gray <whg @ inel . gov>
Next: Can You Believe It?
From: Robert Evans <pedro @ orca . sitesonthe . net>

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