[ GLSA 201405-27 ] LibYAML: Arbitrary code execution

[GLSA]

Gentoo Linux Security Advisory

Title: LibYAML: Arbitrary code execution (GLSA 201405-27)
Severity: normal
Exploitable: local, remote
Date: May 23, 2014
Bug(s): #505948
ID: 201405-27

Synopsis

A vulnerability in LibYAML could allow an attacker to execute
arbitrary code or cause a Denial of Service condition.


Background

LibYAML is a YAML 1.1 parser and emitter written in C.

Affected Packages

Package: dev-libs/libyaml
Vulnerable: < 0.1.6
Unaffected: >= 0.1.6
Architectures: All supported architectures


Description

The yaml_parser_scan_uri_escapes() function does not properly expand
strings passed as input, which can result in a heap-based buffer
overflow.


Impact

An attacker could provide a specially-crafted YAML document, which, when
parsed by LibYAML, could result in arbitrary code execution or cause the
application to crash.


Workaround

There is no known workaround at this time.

Resolution

All LibYAML users should upgrade to the latest version: