[Bug 1837734] Re: firefox crash on a FIPS enabled machine due to libnss3

[Vineetha Kamath]

debdiff.xenial

** Attachment added: "debdiff.xenial"
   https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nss/+bug/1837734/+attachment/5279028/+files/debdiff.xenial

** Description changed:

  [IMPACT]
  nss is not a FIPS certified library. On a machine running FIPS enabled kernel, the library by default goes into FIPS mode if /proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled=1. This is an untested configuration and since libnss3 is not a certified library we propose disabling reading the 'fips_enabled' flag and therefore switching the library automatically into FIPS mode. A FIPS customer reported firefox crash on a FIPS enabled system and strace showed it was repeatedly trying to read the fips_enabled flag from libnss3 before crashing.
  
  The proposed patch disables reading the /proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled
  flag. The users of the library however can force nss into FIPS mode via
  an environment variable. We plan to leave it as is so as not to regress
  existing users who may be using it.
  
  The issue impacts libnss3 versions in eoan, disco, bionic and xenial.
  
  lsb_release -rd
  Description:	Ubuntu Eoan Ermine (development branch)
  Release: 19.10
  
  Version: 2:3.45-1ubuntu1
  
  lsb_release -rd
  Description: Ubuntu Disco Dingo
  Release: 19.04
  
  Version: 2:3.42-1ubuntu2
  
  lsb_release -rd
  Description:	Ubuntu Bionic Beaver
  Release:	18.04
  
  Version: 2:3.35-2ubuntu2.3
  
  lsb_release -rd
  Description:	Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS
  Release:	16.04
  
  Version: 2:3.28.4-0ubuntu0.16.04
  
- FIX]
- This fix proposes to disable libnss3 reading /proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled. We only want fips certified modules reading this file and running in fips mode. libnss3 is not one of our
- fips certified modules, so should not be reading this along with our fips certified modules to determine whether to run in fips mode. 
+ [FIX]
+ This fix proposes to disable libnss3 reading proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled. We only want fips certified modules reading this file and running in fips mode. libnss3 is not one of our fips certified modules, so should not be reading this along with our fips certified modules to determine whether to run in fips mode.
  
  Users who do want to run the library in FIPS mode can do so by using the
  environment variable "NSS_FIPS". We propose to leave it as is so as not
  to regress anyone using this. The user who is using this option should
  be doing so with the awareness.
  
- 
  [TEST]
- Tested on a xenial and bionic desktop ISO running FIPS enabled kernel and in FIPS mode. With the patch fix no crashes were observed when launching firefox browser. 
- Without the patch fix, firefox crashes. 
+ Tested on a xenial and bionic desktop ISO running FIPS enabled kernel and in FIPS mode. With the patch fix no crashes were observed when launching firefox browser.
+ Without the patch fix, firefox crashes.
  
  [REGRESSION POTENTIAL]
  The regression potential for this is small. A FIPS kernel is required to
  create /proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled and it is not available in standard ubuntu archive. For users forcing FIPS through environment variable, nothing has changed.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1837734

Title:
  firefox crash on a FIPS enabled machine due to libnss3

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