Ubuntu Look

The Ubuntu development team yesterday released a series of security fixes for PHP running on Ubuntu 6.06 LTS, 7.04, 7.10 and Ubuntu 8.04 LTS.

The updates fix a number of security risks in PHP, including a problem with PHP not properly checking the length of the string parameter to the fnmatch function. An attacker could cause a denial of service in the PHP interpreter if a script passed untrusted input to the fnmatch function.

The fix also fixes a flaw in the cURL library that allowed safe_mode and open_basedir restrictions to be bypassed. If a

PHP application were tricked into processing a bad file:// request, an attacker could read arbitrary files.

Read more at Tectonic

A weakness has been discovered in the random number generator used by OpenSSL on Debian and Ubuntu systems. As a result of this weakness, certain encryption keys are much more common than they should be, such that an attacker could guess the key through a brute-force attack given minimal knowledge of the system.

This particularly affects the use of encryption keys in OpenSSH. This vulnerability only affects operating systems which (like Ubuntu) are based on Debian. However, other systems can be indirectly affected if weak keys are imported into them.

We consider this an extremely serious vulnerability, and urge all users to act immediately to secure their systems. The following Ubuntu releases are affected: Ubuntu 7.04 Ubuntu 7.10 Ubuntu 8.04 LTS

This advisory also applies to the corresponding versions of Kubuntu, Edubuntu, and Xubuntu.

ISOs available already on ubuntu.com and mirrors will not be updated with the new packages, but using the Update Manager to get security updates will replace the impacted packages. Users should then regenerate new keys.

ShipIt has stopped mailing CDs.

The 8.04.1 point release, expected in July, will include the updated packages.

Please see usn-612-2 for the latest information regarding updating your system and taking appropriate protective measures.

Ubuntu Fridge

A weakness has been discovered in the random number generator used by OpenSSL on Debian and Ubuntu systems. As a result of this weakness, certain encryption keys are much more common than they should be, such that an attacker could guess the key through a brute-force attack given minimal knowledge of the system.

This particularly affects the use of encryption keys in OpenSSH. This vulnerability only affects operating systems which (like Ubuntu) are based on Debian. However, other systems can be indirectly affected if weak keys are imported into them.

We consider this an extremely serious vulnerability, and urge all users to act immediately to secure their systems. The following Ubuntu releases are affected: Ubuntu 7.04 Ubuntu 7.10 Ubuntu 8.04 LTS

This advisory also applies to the corresponding versions of Kubuntu, Edubuntu, and Xubuntu.

Please see usn-612-2 for the latest information regarding updating your system and taking appropriate protective measures. More information will be released within 48 hours.

Ubuntu has issued an update for cups. This fixes a vulnerability which can be exploited by malicious people to cause a DoS (Denial of Service) or potentially compromise a vulnerable system, and a security issue which can be exploited by malicious, local users to perform certain actions with escalated privileges.

Read more at Secunia