New PHP packages are available for Slackware 8.1, 9.0, 9.1, 10.0, 10.1, and -current to fix security issues. PHP has been relinked with the shared PCRE library to fix an overflow issue with PHP's builtin PRCE code, and PEAR::XMLRPC has been upgraded to version 1.4.0 which eliminates the eval() function. The eval() function is believed to be insecure as implemented, and would be difficult to secure.

Note that these new packages now require that the PCRE package be installed, so be sure to get the new package from the patches/packages/directory if you don't already have it. A new version of this (6.3) was also issued today, so be sure that is the one you install.

More details about these issues may be found in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database:

http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CAN-2005-2491
http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CAN-2005-2498



Here are the details from the Slackware 10.1 ChangeLog:
+--------------------------+
patches/packages/php-4.3.11-i486-3.tgz: Relinked with the system PCRE library,
as the builtin library has a buffer overflow that could be triggered by the
processing of a specially crafted regular expression.
Note that this change requires the pcre package to be installed.
For more information, see:
http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CAN-2005-2491
(* Security fix *)
Upgraded PEAR::XMLRPC to version 1.4.0, which eliminates the use of the
insecure eval() function.
For more information, see:
http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CAN-2005-2498
(* Security fix *)
+--------------------------+


Where to find the new packages:
+-----------------------------+

Updated package for Slackware 8.1:
ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-8.1/patches/packages/php-4.3.11-i386-4.tgz

Updated package for Slackware 9.0:
ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-9.0/patches/packages/php-4.3.11-i386-4.tgz

Updated package for Slackware 9.1:
ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-9.1/patches/packages/php-4.3.11-i486-4.tgz

Updated package for Slackware 10.0:
ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-10.0/patches/packages/php-4.3.11-i486-3.tgz

Updated package for Slackware 10.1:
ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-10.1/patches/packages/php-4.3.11-i486-3.tgz

Updated package for Slackware -current:
ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-current/slackware/n/php-4.4.0-i486-3.tgz


MD5 signatures:
+-------------+

Slackware 8.1 package:
06ae1e8f982f2c8142194eb4691cb2c0 php-4.3.11-i386-4.tgz

Slackware 9.0 package:
41d878638bca9f1fd13086ab1c3b5528 php-4.3.11-i386-4.tgz

Slackware 9.1 package:
28c5d2d4a1f16ff7656606962b6c05b5 php-4.3.11-i486-4.tgz

Slackware 10.0 package:
da1920c127a633a38efc49035307f069 php-4.3.11-i486-3.tgz

Slackware 10.1 package:
5f7efa91b92ca0239b6dc413a2cc6a41 php-4.3.11-i486-3.tgz

Slackware -current package:
e60c975944a7ee9709819918d65d4699 php-4.4.0-i486-3.tgz


Installation instructions:
+------------------------+

First, stop apache:
# apachectl stop

Next, upgrade to the new PHP package:
# upgradepkg php-4.3.11-i486-3.tgz

Finally, restart apache:
# apachectl start (or: apachectl startssl)


+-----+

Slackware Linux Security Team
http://slackware.com/gpg-key
security@slackware.com