SECURITY ADVISORY - SSRT0758

Date Posted: September, 2001

Reference SSRT0758

Compaq management software security vulnerability (SSRT0758)

Summary

Compaq Management Software products undergo rigorous quality assurance processes to ensure that they meet the highest possible standards for security, reliability and usability. In line with this commitment, Compaq recently uncovered a potential buffer overflow security vulnerability in its Web-enabled Management Software. This vulnerability has the potential to enable unauthorized users to execute code at an administrator level through the exploitation of a buffer overflow. Compaq has addressed this issue with version 5.2 of the Compaq Management Agents and developed a patch that may be downloaded from the Compaq Web site (see details below) to fix existing Agents installations. Compaq strongly recommends that customers upgrade to version 5.2 of the Compaq Management Agents or apply the appropriate patch.

Compaq strongly recommends that web-enabled agents and utilities be deployed only on private networks and not used on the open Internet or on systems outside the bounds of the firewall. The implementation of sound security practices, which includes disabling external access to Compaq management ports, should help protect customers from external malicious attacks. Compaq also recommends that strong password standards are used and that passwords are changed regularly..

Scope of the problem

The web component of Compaq web-enabled management software provides HTTP services to allow management information to be accessible through a web browser. Web-enabled management software is provided for the majority of the operating systems that Compaq supports on its Intel-based and Alpha-based server and client systems. These operating systems include Microsoft Windows 9x, Windows NT and Windows 2000, Novell NetWare, Red Hat Linux 6.2, 7.0, and 7.1, SuSE Linux 7.0 & 7.2, Tru64 Unix and Open VMS. Web-enabled management software is also supported for Compaq storage products.

This Security Advisory applies to all web-enabled Compaq management software. Click here to view a list of affected software.

Unaffected Software Versions

The web-enabled component of the Compaq Remote Insight Lights-Out Edition board is NOT affected. Also unaffected are the downloadable integration modules that Compaq provides to enhance the management of Compaq platforms from within enterprise management consoles such as CA Unicenter TNG, Tivoli Enterprise, Tivoli NetView, and HP OpenView.

What Compaq is doing

Compaq is currently completing the testing and release of fixes for the affected software. Compaq Management CD Version 5.2 includes an update that fixes the buffer overflow security vulnerability issue in some Compaq Web-enabled Management Software. In addition to releasing new versions of the software, Compaq will also release software patches to update existing versions of the web-enabled management software.

Three patches are available for download from:
ftp://ftp.compaq.com/pub/softpaq/sp17501-18000

SoftPaq SP 17926 fixes the problem for affected versions of Compaq Foundation Agents for Windows Servers, Compaq Survey for Windows, Compaq Power Manager, Compaq Intelligent Cluster Administrator, and Compaq Availability Agents. This patch also fixes the problem for the SNMP and DMI agents installed with Compaq Insight Manager XE Version 2.0 and 2.1. Compaq recommends applying the patch if any of the Compaq Management Software mentioned above is installed.

SoftPaq SP 17927 fixes the problem for affected versions of the Compaq Foundation Agents for Novell NetWare servers.

SoftPaq SP 17928 fixes the problem for affected versions of the Compaq Foundation Agents for Linux (Red Hat 6.2)

The software upgrades and patches mentioned above also fix all previous Compaq Management Software security vulnerabilities reported in the following Compaq Security Advisories:

• Compaq Management Software Security Vulnerability - SSRT0715 (March, 2001)
• Compaq Web-enabled Management Software Security Vulnerability - SSRT0705 (January 2001)

Compaq Security Advisory SSRT0758 will be updated as needed to communicate availability and plans for new versions of all the affected software. l.

What Customers Should Do

Determine which systems are running Compaq web-enabled agents or utilities. There are three methods suggested.

Method 1
Point a web browser to the system by keying in http://[IP_ADDRESS]: 2301 or http://[machine_name]:2301. - This will bring up the device home page for any servers running web-enabled management software, and display a list of the components.

NOTE: The lists generated by Methods 2 and 3, while helpful, may not be exhaustive lists of the systems with web-enabled agents and utilities. The lists will include only those systems that are being managed either explicitly or because they have been discovered.

Method 2
Systems running Compaq Insight Manager XE, can get a list of systems running the web-enabled agents by defining a Query to return a list of systems with web agents.
Login to your Compaq Insight Manager XE system and create a new Query. Select the "Devices with Web Agent" criteria.
- Select all of the available products on the Criteria Configuration screen.
- Save the Query and execute it.
The list of devices will be all those with web agents.

Method 3
Systems running Compaq Insight Manager Windows 32 console, can get a list of systems running the web agents by starting Compaq Insight Manager and selecting the "Web Device List" button on the toolbar. This will display a list of systems being managed by Compaq Insight Manager and additionally will have underlined as hyperlinks the systems on which the web agents are present and enabled. To print out a list of only the web devices, select the "Web Devices" hyperlink in the left column and only web devices will be shown. Print this page from your browser.

If for any reason the software cannot be updated or the patch applied, Compaq recommends that the web-enabled components of Compaq Management Software be temporarily disabled; by following the procedures outlined at the end of this advisory.

Compaq has always advised that web-enabled agents and utilities be deployed only in private networks and not used on the Internet or on systems outside the bounds of a firewall. Verify that you have disallowed access to non-essential IP ports on your firewall or proxy protecting the corporate network from the Internet. The disabling of such ports, which include port 2301 (Device Management Port) and port 280 (Compaq Insight Manager XE port), is part of a sound security policy for your network.

How do I obtain the updated Compaq Management Software or patch? Updated software will be made available on the web through the system software download site (http://www.compaq.com/support/files/server/us/index.html) and will also be proactively delivered directly to customers who have installed Compaq ActiveUpdate. ). Compaq recommends registering for the ActiveUpdate service, which is available at the following URL: http://www.compaq.com/activeupdate.

Obtaining Support on this Issue

The normal process for obtaining support on Compaq products is pursued in the country of residence. . If you do not have an established support process, you may find information about support by visiting the Compaq web site for your country. You can find that web site by picking your country from the list at http://www.compaq.com/worldwide/.

You may also find a support number for your locale from the table at http://www.compaq.com/corporate/overview/world_offices.html.

Support can help you to:

1. Identify if you have an affected release.
2. Obtain the appropriate SoftPaq when it is available.
3. Apply and run the SoftPaq.

Compaq support personnel are aware of the issues and the fixes and are well versed in Compaq systems management products.

Disabling the Web-Enabled Agents

If you are unable to wait for the fix to become available, you can use the following procedures to disable the web component of the agents. For those cases where it is not possible to disable only the web component, we have provided instructions for disabling the entire agent or utility.

Microsoft Windows Servers
Web-based management is enabled, by default, when you install the Compaq Server Management Agents for Windows NT. Perform the following steps to disable web-based management.

1. From the START menu, select SETTINGS, the CONTROL PANEL.
2. From the CONTROL PANEL, select and run the SERVICES applet.
3. Select INSIGHT WEB AGENT from the list of services.
4. If it is running, click the button marked STOP
5. To prevent it from automatically starting again, click STARTUP and then select DISABLED.
6. Click OK.
7. Click CLOSE.
This will stop the web agents and prevent them from starting automatically. SNMP management is still possible.

• For Windows 2000 - Right click My Computer on the desktop; select Manage. This will display a window titled "Computer Management", Click the "Services" item under the "Services and Applications" node. The right side of the window will show the services installed on the system.

NetWare Server Agents
If you enabled Web-Based Management when you installed the Compaq Management Agents for NetWare, and later would like to disable it, perform the following steps from the NetWare server console:

1. LOAD CPQAGIN
2. Select the option "Configure Existing NetWare Agents"
3. Select the line that mentions the load of CPQWEBAG and select NO
4. Save changes and exit out of CPQAGIN.
This prevents the web-enabled agents from loading. SNMP management is still possible.

Linux Server Agents

1. To stop running Web Agent
- Log in as "root"
- Run "/etc/rc.d/init.d/cmafdtn stop cmawebd"command.
2. To disable Web Agent so it will not be started during reboot or runlevel changes
- Log in as "root"
- Edit "/etc/rc.d/init.d/cmafdtn" file (using vi or other editors) and remove "cmawebd" from following line
PNAMES="cmafdtnpeerd cmahostd cmathreshd cmawebd"

SCO UnixWare 7 Agents (UnixWare 2 agents are NOT Web-Enabled)

1. To stop running Web Agent
- Log in as "root"
- Run "sh /etc/init.d/cmaweb stop" command.
2. To disable Web Agent so it will not be started during reboot or entering multi-user mode
- Log in as "root"
- Run "rm /etc/rc2.d/[SK]*cmaweb" command.

SCO OpenServer Agents

1. To stop running Web Agent
- Log in as "root"
- Run "sh /etc/cmaweb stop" command.
2. To disable Web Agent so it will not be started during reboot or entering multi-user mode
- Log in as "root"
- Run "rm /etc/rc2.d/[SK]*cmaweb" command.

Survey for Windows and Survey for NetWare
It is not possible to disable only the web-component of Survey. Follow the instructions below to disable the full service:

Survey for Windows
From the command prompt, type the following command: %SystemDrive%\COMPAQ\SURVEY\SURVEY-U. . This will unload the Survey service and prevent it from starting up on the next reboot

Survey for NetWare
To unload Survey for Netware from the console screen, type the following command: UNLOAD SURVEY During the default Survey install, Survey is automatically started by adding the line "load SURVEY -w10 -cWed.12,7 " to the AUTOEXEC.NCF. To prevent Survey from automatically starting next time the server is restarted, remove that line.

Survey for Linux
To stop the Survey for Linux web daemon, type the following command: kill `ps -e | grep surveywebd | awk '{print $1}'`

System Healthcheck

Change to the SHC bin directory ( e.g. cd%systemdrive%\compaq\shc\bin)
First, stop the service by typing "net stop cpqshc".
Next, remove the service by typing "shcsvc -remove".
Note that the command line interface to SHC will continue to work

Compaq Power Agents

1. To stop running Web Agent
   - From the Windows Control Panel, double-click "Services"
   - In the Services dialog list box, click on "Compaq Power Management Web Agent"
   - Click the "Stop" button to stop the Agent
   
2. To prevent the service from being restarted.
   - Click on the "Startup..." button and choose "Disabled"; click "OK".

OpenVMS Management Agents

1. To stop running Web Agent
   - Log into the system account
   - For V1.0 and V2.0 $@sys$specific:[wbem]stop_webagents
   - For V2.1 $@sys$specific:[wbem]wbem$shutdown

A fix for this problem will be provided in Version 2.2 of the Management Agents for OpenVMS via our web site:
http://www.openvms.compaq.com/openvms/products/mgmt_agents Version 2.2 of the Management agents should be available at this web site in late March or early April.

Compaq Management Agents and Tools for Servers for SCO UnixWare 7 NonStop Clusters

1. To stop running Web Agent
   - Login as "root".
   - Exexcute the following two command lines.
      -execute `onall /etc/init.d/cmaweb stop`
      -`chmod 777 /etc/init.d/cmaweb 000`

Tru64 UNIX Management Agents

1. To stop running Web Agent
   - Log in as "root"
   - Execute "/sbin/init.d/insightd stop" command.
   
2. To disable the Web Agents so they will not be started during reboot or entering multi-user mode
   - Log in as "root"
   - On Tru64 UNIX V4.0f and V4.0g, execute "rm /sbin/rc2.d/*insightd"
   - On Tru64 UNIX V5.0 and later, execute the command: "/usr/sbin/rcmgr set INSIGHTD_CONF -1"
   
3. To enable the Web Agents again once the Patch Kit has been installed - Log in as "root"
   - On Tru64 UNIX V4.0f and V4.0g
   - execute "ln -s /sbin/init.d/insightd/sbin/rc2.d/Kxxinsightd"
   where xx is any sequence Nb after the one used for snmpd
   - On Tru64 UNIX V5.0 and later, execute the command: "/usr/sbin/rcmgr set INSIGHTD_CONF 1"

Desktop and Portable web-enabled agents
To remove the web-enabled components from the desktop and portables agents, follow the instructions below to uninstall the agents using the add/remove feature in Windows systems, then reinstall the agents without the DMI web components

Uninstalling Web-enabled Desktop Agent from a Windows 9x/NT system

1. From the START menu, select SETTINGS, then CONTROL PANEL.
2. From the CONTROL PANEL, select ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS
3. In the INSTALL/UNINSTALL tab, select "Compaq Insight Management Web Agent"
4. Click ADD/REMOVE button to remove the agent.


For desktops and workstations do not check "DMI Web Component" during the installation

To install the Compaq Management Agents for portables without web support, select "custom" and then select "DMI options". Click on the "Change" button. Remove the check marks for "Compaq DMI Web Agent" and "Compaq DMI Web Viewer".

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