[Bug 1723105] [NEW] Upgrade to 1.28-1ubuntu2.2 fails because postrm script is a directory containing kernel modules

[Captain Chaos]

Public bug reported:

When trying to upgrade my Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS server using the command
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade, the upgrade consistently failed while trying
to upgrade libidn11 to version 1.28-1ubuntu2.2 with the following error
message:

unable to install (supposed) new info file
`/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/postrm': Is a directory

I determined that instead of being a script,
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libidn11:amd64.postrm was in fact a directory! It
contained two kernel modules, llc.ko and llc2.lo. I will attach the two
files.

To get the package to install and the upgrade operation to proceed, I
renamed /var/lib/dpkg/info/libidn11:amd64.postrm to
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libidn11:amd64.postrm.bak, after which a renewed
dist-upgrade proceeded without any warnings or errors.

After the installation /var/lib/dpkg/info/libidn11:amd64.postrm once
again existed, and is now a script, as expected.

What gives? Is this a bug in either this or the previous version of
libidn? Is it now correctly installed? Was I hacked (I get a bit nervous
when executable files spontaneously appear in random places)? I scanned
the two files with virustotal.com, and it found nothing, but I don't
think that means much.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: libidn11 1.28-1ubuntu2.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-129.178-generic 3.13.11-ckt39
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-129-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.25
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Oct 12 14:41:57 2017
Dependencies:
 gcc-4.9-base 4.9.3-0ubuntu4
 libc6 2.19-0ubuntu6.13
 libgcc1 1:4.9.3-0ubuntu4
 multiarch-support 2.19-0ubuntu6.13
SourcePackage: libidn
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

** Affects: libidn (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug trusty

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1723105

Title:
  Upgrade to 1.28-1ubuntu2.2 fails because postrm script is a directory
  containing kernel modules

Status in libidn package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  When trying to upgrade my Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS server using the command
  sudo apt-get dist-upgrade, the upgrade consistently failed while
  trying to upgrade libidn11 to version 1.28-1ubuntu2.2 with the
  following error message:

  unable to install (supposed) new info file
  `/var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/postrm': Is a directory

  I determined that instead of being a script,
  /var/lib/dpkg/info/libidn11:amd64.postrm was in fact a directory! It
  contained two kernel modules, llc.ko and llc2.lo. I will attach the
  two files.

  To get the package to install and the upgrade operation to proceed, I
  renamed /var/lib/dpkg/info/libidn11:amd64.postrm to
  /var/lib/dpkg/info/libidn11:amd64.postrm.bak, after which a renewed
  dist-upgrade proceeded without any warnings or errors.

  After the installation /var/lib/dpkg/info/libidn11:amd64.postrm once
  again existed, and is now a script, as expected.

  What gives? Is this a bug in either this or the previous version of
  libidn? Is it now correctly installed? Was I hacked (I get a bit
  nervous when executable files spontaneously appear in random places)?
  I scanned the two files with virustotal.com, and it found nothing, but
  I don't think that means much.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
  Package: libidn11 1.28-1ubuntu2.2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-129.178-generic 3.13.11-ckt39
  Uname: Linux 3.13.0-129-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.25
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Thu Oct 12 14:41:57 2017
  Dependencies:
   gcc-4.9-base 4.9.3-0ubuntu4
   libc6 2.19-0ubuntu6.13
   libgcc1 1:4.9.3-0ubuntu4
   multiarch-support 2.19-0ubuntu6.13
  SourcePackage: libidn
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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