CVE reference: CVE-2007-2873 Description: A local user symlink-attack DoS vulnerability in SpamAssassin has been found, affecting versions 3.1.x, 3.2.0, and SVN trunk. It has been assigned CVE-2007-2873. Details: - It only affects systems where spamd is run as root, is used with vpopmail or virtual users via the "-v"/"--vpopmail" OR "--virtual-config-dir" switch, AND with the "-x"/"--no-user-config AND WITHOUT the "-u"/"--username" switch AND with the "-l"/"--allow-tell" switch. This is not default on any distro package, and is not a common configuration. - It is a local exploit that requires the attacker to have a local account whose mail is being processed by spamd. - The effect of the exploit is to allow overwriting of arbitrary files that are accessible by the spamd process (running as root), with data that is not under the control of the attacker. Hence it is a DoS vulnerability that does not allow remote execution nor escalation of local privileges. Workaround: If you are running spamd using a vulnerable combination of switches, add the "-u" / "--username" switch to specify a non-root user that spamd child processes will run as. Note that in a mixed real/virtual user environment you will now have to run two separate instances of spamd on different ports, with the instance that specifies "-v"/"--vpopmail" or "--virtual-config-dir" also specifying "-u"/"--username". Fix: The vulnerability is fixed in SpamAssassin version 3.2.1 by, among other fixes, no longer allowing the use of "-v"/"--vpopmail" or "--virtual-config-dir" without the "-u"/"--username" switch. Thus, the configuration change described in the above workaround is still necessary when upgrading to 3.2.1. Further info: mail Announced: Jun 11 2007 Corrected: Jun 11 2007 Affects: all versions before the correction date, after and including 3.1.0 Credit: discovery of this vulnerability credited to Martin F. Krafft