A new security update has been released for Gentoo Linux - Sun and Blackdown Java: Applet privilege escalation. Here the announcement:

Gentoo Linux Security Advisory GLSA 200601-10
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
http://security.gentoo.org/
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Severity: Normal
Title: Sun and Blackdown Java: Applet privilege escalation
Date: January 16, 2006
Bugs: #118114
ID: 200601-10

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Synopsis
========

Sun's and Blackdown's JDK or JRE may allow untrusted applets to elevate
their privileges.

Background
==========

Sun and Blackdown both provide implementations of the Java Development
Kit (JDK) and Java Runtime Environment (JRE).

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

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Package / Vulnerable / Unaffected
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1 dev-java/sun-jdk < 1.4.2.09 >= 1.4.2.09
2 dev-java/sun-jre-bin < 1.4.2.09 >= 1.4.2.09
3 dev-java/blackdown-jdk < 1.4.2.03 >= 1.4.2.03
4 dev-java/blackdown-jre < 1.4.2.03 >= 1.4.2.03
-------------------------------------------------------------------
4 affected packages on all of their supported architectures.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Adam Gowdiak discovered multiple vulnerabilities in the Java Runtime
Environment's Reflection APIs that may allow untrusted applets to
elevate privileges.

Impact
======

A remote attacker could embed a malicious Java applet in a web page and
entice a victim to view it. This applet can then bypass security
restrictions and execute any command or access any file with the rights
of the user running the web browser.

Workaround
==========

There are no known workarounds at this time.

Resolution
==========

All Sun JDK users should upgrade to the latest version:

# emerge --sync
# emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose ">=dev-java/sun-jdk-1.4.2.09"

All Sun JRE users should upgrade to the latest version:

# emerge --sync
# emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose ">=dev-java/sun-jre-bin-1.4.2.09"

All Blackdown JDK users should upgrade to the latest version:

# emerge --sync
# emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose ">=dev-java/blackdown-jdk-1.4.2.03"

All Blackdown JRE users should upgrade to the latest version:

# emerge --sync
# emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose ">=dev-java/blackdown-jre-1.4.2.03"

Note to SPARC and PPC users: There is no stable secure Blackdown Java
for the SPARC or PPC architectures. Affected users on the PPC
architecture should consider switching to the IBM Java packages
(ibm-jdk-bin and ibm-jre-bin). Affected users on the SPARC should
remove the package until a SPARC package is released.

References
==========

[ 1 ] CVE-2005-3905
http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2005-3905
[ 2 ] CVE-2005-3906
http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2005-3906
[ 3 ] Sun Security Alert ID 102003

http://sunsolve.sun.com/searchproxy/document.do?assetkey=1-26-102003-1
[ 4 ] Blackdown Java-Linux Security Advisory

http://www.blackdown.org/java-linux/java2-status/security/Blackdown-SA-2005-03.txt

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

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

http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200601-10.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 2006 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