Re: [SECURITY] [DSA 1438-1] New tar packages fix several vulnerabilities

2007-12-29 Thread Martin Zobel-Helas
Hi, 

On Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 19:19:50 -0500, Jim Popovitch wrote:
 On Fri, 2007-12-28 at 22:36 +0100, Martin Zobel-Helas wrote:
  On Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 22:10:08 +0100, Wolfgang Jeltsch wrote:
   However, I cannot see any security announcement for most of these.  Were 
   they 
   updated because of the security fix for tar?  If yes, why doesn’t the 
   security announcement mention that updated versions are available also 
   for 
   those packages?
  
  see 
  http://lists.debian.org/debian-announce/debian-announce-2007/msg4.html
 
 Martin,
 
 First, I (and many others) appreciate your and everyone else's work on
 Debian.   That said, I too am confused by the latest Debian 4.0 release.
 It seems to me that, in the past, all Debian patches were released with
 DSAs (why patch w/o a DSA?), and that further updates to the core
 release (Potato, Sid, Sarge, Etch, etc) were only a roll-up of
 previously issued DSAs.   I don't recall new functionality ever being
 added in a core release update bundle (although I could be wrong).  

You are (mostly) wrong here. Most of the packages mentioned under
Miscellaneous Bugfixes in the Release Announcement are just bug fixes,
several of them also have CVE numbers, of which the security team thinks
which are not so important to fix. Others just add missing dependencies
without those the package would not be able to run. Also other packages
just get RC bugs fixed. 

The only package which got REAL updates this time was the Debian Linux
Kernel, to support eg. SGI o2 machines. Also some (sub-)architectures
were missing some important kernel modules the other
(sub-)archtitectures had, so we considered that as worth for updating
the kernel.

 Consider that some people, such as myself, only update servers based on
 review of public DSA statements.  Yet now we find ourselves with
 multiple days of updates to multiple pkgs, but no corresponding DSA
 announcements to cross reference for validity (which can easily make one
 suspect a mirror has been hacked).  

Thus we try to send out the announcement to that 'point release' very
short after packages have been pushed out to the mirrors (read as in:
within one day). We cannot send it directly after the dinstall process,
as only the tier-1 mirrors then would have those packages, but not
tier-2 and tier-3 mirrors. Also consider some mirrors only update by
cron twice a day.

 Since I'm not the only one confused by the recent updates, can we get
 some clarification on this process please.  Specifically, is it
 currently Debian policy to release non-critical pkg updates, i.e.
 releases without DSAs, in periodic core release rollups? (is this new or
 has it been so in the past?)  Could Debian be better served by calling
 the rollup (including new non-critical updates) a new release (i.e 4.1)?

These releases are called 'point releases' and are prepared publicly.
Preperation mails to these point releases are periodicly sent to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] Also prior releases had
'Miscellaneous Bugfixes', see eg. [2]. The list of 'Miscellaneous
Bugfixes' just got a bit bigger, as the last point releases was for
various reasons not 2 but 6 month ago. 

Also my predecessor, Joey Schulze, was much more strict regarding
'Miscellaneous Bugfixes', and several Debian Developers expressed the
wish that his rules should be eased a bit. We are still very strict
regarding these bugfixes but not as strict as he was.

I hereby will also say that these bugfixes (and point releases) will
happen in future as well, so be prepared to it. You really should read
[EMAIL PROTECTED], as all these updates will be announced
to that mailing list.

Hope that eMail helps a bit to clarify.

Greetings
Martin


[1] http://lists.debian.org/debian-release/2007/12/msg00203.html or
http://lists.debian.org/debian-release/2007/12/msg00254.html

[2] http://lists.debian.org/debian-announce/debian-announce-2007/msg3.html 
or
http://lists.debian.org/debian-announce/debian-announce-2007/msg0.html
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Re: [SECURITY] [DSA 1438-1] New tar packages fix several vulnerabilities

2007-12-29 Thread Bernd Eckenfels
In article [EMAIL PROTECTED] you wrote:
 These releases are called 'point releases' and are prepared publicly.
 Preperation mails to these point releases are periodicly sent to
 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Also prior releases had
 'Miscellaneous Bugfixes', see eg. [2]. The list of 'Miscellaneous
 Bugfixes' just got a bit bigger, as the last point releases was for
 various reasons not 2 but 6 month ago. 

Hmmm, I think pushing point releases via the package pool and preparing a
new release directory would limit the confusion. I dont see a need to make
those packages available on security.d.o.

I think in the past we did exactly that with proposed-updates.

Greetings
Bernd


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Re: [SECURITY] [DSA 1438-1] New tar packages fix several vulnerabilities

2007-12-29 Thread Luk Claes
Bernd Eckenfels wrote:
 In article [EMAIL PROTECTED] you wrote:
 These releases are called 'point releases' and are prepared publicly.
 Preperation mails to these point releases are periodicly sent to
 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Also prior releases had
 'Miscellaneous Bugfixes', see eg. [2]. The list of 'Miscellaneous
 Bugfixes' just got a bit bigger, as the last point releases was for
 various reasons not 2 but 6 month ago. 
 
 Hmmm, I think pushing point releases via the package pool and preparing a
 new release directory would limit the confusion. I dont see a need to make
 those packages available on security.d.o.
 
 I think in the past we did exactly that with proposed-updates.

There is no difference now, they are not available via
security.debian.org. apt-cache policy pkg will tell you were they come
from if you are in doubt.

Cheers

Luk


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Re: [SECURITY] [DSA 1438-1] New tar packages fix several vulnerabilities

2007-12-28 Thread Wolfgang Jeltsch
Am Freitag, 28. Dezember 2007 16:29 schrieb Florian Weimer:
 
 Debian Security Advisory DSA-1438-1  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 http://www.debian.org/security/   Florian Weimer
 December 28, 2007 http://www.debian.org/security/faq
 

 Package: tar
 Vulnerability  : several
 Problem type   : local(remote)
 Debian-specific: no
 CVE Id(s)  : CVE-2007-4131, CVE-2007-4476

 Several vulnerabilities have been discovered in GNU Tar.

Hello,

during the last six days, updates of the following packages were available via 
security.debian.org:

debconf
debconf-i18n
findutils
klibc-utils
libc6
libc6-i386
libklibc
libpam-modules
libpam-runtime
libpam0g
linux-image-2.6.18-5-amd64
locales
tar
tzdata

However, I cannot see any security announcement for most of these.  Were they 
updated because of the security fix for tar?  If yes, why doesn’t the 
security announcement mention that updated versions are available also for 
those packages?

Best wishes,
Wolfgang



Re: [SECURITY] [DSA 1438-1] New tar packages fix several vulnerabilities

2007-12-28 Thread Martin Zobel-Helas
Hi, 

On Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 22:10:08 +0100, Wolfgang Jeltsch wrote:
 Am Freitag, 28. Dezember 2007 16:29 schrieb Florian Weimer:
  
  Debian Security Advisory DSA-1438-1  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
  http://www.debian.org/security/   Florian Weimer
  December 28, 2007 http://www.debian.org/security/faq
  
 
  Package: tar
  Vulnerability  : several
  Problem type   : local(remote)
  Debian-specific: no
  CVE Id(s)  : CVE-2007-4131, CVE-2007-4476
 
  Several vulnerabilities have been discovered in GNU Tar.
 
 Hello,
 
 during the last six days, updates of the following packages were available 
 via 
 security.debian.org:

wrong.

 debconf
 debconf-i18n
 findutils
 klibc-utils
 libc6
 libc6-i386
 libklibc
 libpam-modules
 libpam-runtime
 libpam0g
 linux-image-2.6.18-5-amd64
 locales
 tar
 tzdata
 
 However, I cannot see any security announcement for most of these.  Were they 
 updated because of the security fix for tar?  If yes, why doesn’t the 
 security announcement mention that updated versions are available also for 
 those packages?

see http://lists.debian.org/debian-announce/debian-announce-2007/msg4.html

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Re: [SECURITY] [DSA 1438-1] New tar packages fix several vulnerabilities

2007-12-28 Thread Jim Popovitch
On Fri, 2007-12-28 at 22:36 +0100, Martin Zobel-Helas wrote:
 On Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 22:10:08 +0100, Wolfgang Jeltsch wrote:
  However, I cannot see any security announcement for most of these.  Were 
  they 
  updated because of the security fix for tar?  If yes, why doesn’t the 
  security announcement mention that updated versions are available also for 
  those packages?
 
 see http://lists.debian.org/debian-announce/debian-announce-2007/msg4.html

Martin,

First, I (and many others) appreciate your and everyone else's work on
Debian.   That said, I too am confused by the latest Debian 4.0 release.
It seems to me that, in the past, all Debian patches were released with
DSAs (why patch w/o a DSA?), and that further updates to the core
release (Potato, Sid, Sarge, Etch, etc) were only a roll-up of
previously issued DSAs.   I don't recall new functionality ever being
added in a core release update bundle (although I could be wrong).  

Consider that some people, such as myself, only update servers based on
review of public DSA statements.  Yet now we find ourselves with
multiple days of updates to multiple pkgs, but no corresponding DSA
announcements to cross reference for validity (which can easily make one
suspect a mirror has been hacked).  

Since I'm not the only one confused by the recent updates, can we get
some clarification on this process please.  Specifically, is it
currently Debian policy to release non-critical pkg updates, i.e.
releases without DSAs, in periodic core release rollups? (is this new or
has it been so in the past?)  Could Debian be better served by calling
the rollup (including new non-critical updates) a new release (i.e 4.1)?

Thank you for helping to clarify.

-Jim P.


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Re: [SECURITY] [DSA 1438-1] New tar packages fix several vulnerabilities

2007-12-28 Thread Luk Claes
Jim Popovitch wrote:
 On Fri, 2007-12-28 at 22:36 +0100, Martin Zobel-Helas wrote:
 On Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 22:10:08 +0100, Wolfgang Jeltsch wrote:
 However, I cannot see any security announcement for most of these.  Were 
 they 
 updated because of the security fix for tar?  If yes, why doesn’t the 
 security announcement mention that updated versions are available also for 
 those packages?
 see 
 http://lists.debian.org/debian-announce/debian-announce-2007/msg4.html
 
 Martin,
 
 First, I (and many others) appreciate your and everyone else's work on
 Debian.   That said, I too am confused by the latest Debian 4.0 release.
 It seems to me that, in the past, all Debian patches were released with
 DSAs (why patch w/o a DSA?), and that further updates to the core
 release (Potato, Sid, Sarge, Etch, etc) were only a roll-up of
 previously issued DSAs.   I don't recall new functionality ever being
 added in a core release update bundle (although I could be wrong).  
 
 Consider that some people, such as myself, only update servers based on
 review of public DSA statements.  Yet now we find ourselves with
 multiple days of updates to multiple pkgs, but no corresponding DSA
 announcements to cross reference for validity (which can easily make one
 suspect a mirror has been hacked).  
 
 Since I'm not the only one confused by the recent updates, can we get
 some clarification on this process please.  Specifically, is it
 currently Debian policy to release non-critical pkg updates, i.e.
 releases without DSAs, in periodic core release rollups? (is this new or
 has it been so in the past?)  Could Debian be better served by calling
 the rollup (including new non-critical updates) a new release (i.e 4.1)?

No, the updates you are seeing are release critical, but not perse
security related. DSAs only cover severe security issues, a point
release covers both DSAs and other release critical package updates.
This has always been the case, though currently we probably try to fix
more release critical issues than in the past.

Every point release is announced on [EMAIL PROTECTED]
including the list of updated packages and a reason why they are updated.

Cheers

Luk


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