[Bug 423252] Re: NSS using LDAP+SSL breaks setuid applications like su, sudo, apache2 suexec, and atd

[Mathew Hodson]

** Changed in: libgcrypt11 (Ubuntu Maverick)
    Milestone: maverick-updates => None

** Tags added: lucid precise

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Title:
  NSS using LDAP+SSL breaks setuid applications like su, sudo, apache2
  suexec, and atd

Status in libgcrypt:
  Fix Released
Status in Release Notes for Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in libgcrypt11 package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in libgcrypt11 source package in Lucid:
  Fix Released
Status in libgcrypt11 source package in Maverick:
  Won't Fix
Status in libgcrypt11 source package in Natty:
  Won't Fix
Status in libgcrypt11 source package in Oneiric:
  Won't Fix
Status in libgcrypt11 source package in Precise:
  Fix Released
Status in libgcrypt11 source package in Karmic:
  Won't Fix
Status in gnutls26 package in Debian:
  Fix Released
Status in libgcrypt11 package in Debian:
  Fix Released
Status in libnss-ldap package in Debian:
  Fix Released
Status in sudo package in Debian:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  SRU Request:

  [Impact]
  As heavily outlined in the amount of comments in this bug the impact is detrimental to both community and enterprise users alike.

  [Development Fix]
  Howard Chu released a patch in #73 which was later confirmed in #106 & #108 as a resolution.

  [Stable Fix]
  Patch from #73 can be applied cleanly to Lucid and new distributions.

  [Test Case]
  On Karmic (alpha 4 plus updates), changing the nsswitch.conf 'passwd' field to anything with 'ldap' as the first item breaks the ability to become root using 'su' and 'sudo' as anyone but root.

  Default nsswitch.conf:

  passwd:         compat
  group:          compat
  shadow:         compat

  matt at box:~$ sudo uname -a
  [sudo] password for matt:
  Linux box 2.6.31-9-server #29-Ubuntu SMP Sun Aug 30 18:37:42 UTC 2009 x86_64 GNU/Linux

  matt at box:~$ su -
  Password:
  root at box:~#

  Modified nsswitch.conf with 'ldap' before 'compat':

  passwd:         ldap compat
  group:          ldap compat
  shadow:         ldap compat

  matt at box:~$ sudo uname -a
  sudo: setreuid(ROOT_UID, user_uid): Operation not permitted

  matt at box:~$ su -
  Password:
  setgid: Operation not permitted

  Modified nsswitch.conf with 'ldap' after 'compat':

  passwd:         compat ldap
  group:          compat ldap
  shadow:         compat ldap

  matt at box:~$ sudo uname -a
  [sudo] password for matt:
  Linux box 2.6.31-9-server #29-Ubuntu SMP Sun Aug 30 18:37:42 UTC 2009 x86_64 GNU/Linux

  matt at box:~$ su -
  Password:
  root at box:~#

  The same arrangements in nsswitch.conf work as expected in Jaunty and
  earlier releases.

  [Regression Potential]
  This should be minimal as the code change only addresses the duplicating global_init during thread callbacks.

  Lucid Release Note:

  == NSS via LDAP+SSL breaks setuid applications like sudo ==

  Upgrading systems configured to use ldap over ssl as the first service
  in the nss stack (in nsswitch.conf) leads to a broken nss resolution
  for setuid applications after the upgrade to Lucid (for example sudo
  would stop working). There isn't any simple workaround for now. One
  option is to switch to libnss-ldapd in place of libnss-ldap before the
  upgrade. Another one consists in using nscd before the upgrade.

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