A new security update has been released for Gentoo Linux - Py2Play: Remote execution of arbitrary Python code. Here the announcement:

Gentoo Linux Security Advisory GLSA 200509-09
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http://security.gentoo.org/
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Severity: High
Title: Py2Play: Remote execution of arbitrary Python code
Date: September 17, 2005
Bugs: #103524
ID: 200509-09

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Synopsis
========

A design error in Py2Play allows attackers to execute arbitrary code.

Background
==========

Py2Play is a peer-to-peer network game engine written in Python.
Pickling is a Python feature allowing to serialize Python objects into
string representations (called pickles) that can be sent over the
network.

Affected packages
=================

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Package / Vulnerable / Unaffected
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1 dev-python/py2play <= 0.1.7 Vulnerable!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: Certain packages are still vulnerable. Users should migrate
to another package if one is available or wait for the
existing packages to be marked stable by their
architecture maintainers.

Description
===========

Arc Riley discovered that Py2Play uses Python pickles to send objects
over a peer-to-peer game network, and that clients accept without
restriction the objects and code sent by peers.

Impact
======

A remote attacker participating in a Py2Play-powered game can send
malicious Python pickles, resulting in the execution of arbitrary
Python code on the targeted game client.

Workaround
==========

There is no known workaround at this time.

Resolution
==========

The Py2Play package has been hard-masked prior to complete removal from
Portage, and current users are advised to unmerge the package:

# emerge --unmerge dev-python/py2play

References
==========

[ 1 ] CAN-2005-2875
http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?nameÊN-2005-2875

Availability
============

This GLSA and any updates to it are available for viewing at
the Gentoo Security Website:

http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200509-09.xml

Concerns?
=========

Security is a primary focus of Gentoo Linux and ensuring the
confidentiality and security of our users machines is of utmost
importance to us. Any security concerns should be addressed to
security@gentoo.org or alternatively, you may file a bug at
http://bugs.gentoo.org.

License
=======

Copyright 2005 Gentoo Foundation, Inc; referenced text
belongs to its owner(s).

The contents of this document are licensed under the
Creative Commons - Attribution / Share Alike license.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0