Arch Linux Security Advisory ASA-201501-24
=========================================
Severity: Medium
Date    : 2015-01-28
CVE-ID  : CVE-2015-1196 CVE-2014-9637
Package : patch
Type    : multiple issues
Remote  : Yes
Link    : https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/CVE

Summary
======
The package patch before version 2.7.3-1 is vulnerable to directory
traversal and denial of service via memory consumption.

Resolution
=========
Upgrade to 2.7.3-1.

# pacman -Syu "patch>=2.7.3-1"

The problems have been fixed upstream in version 2.7.3.

Workaround
=========
None.

Description
==========
- CVE-2015-1196 (directory traversal)

A directory traversal flaw was discovered that allows remote attackers
to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack in a patch file. This
could allow an attacker to overwrite arbitrary files by applying a
specially crafted patch, with the privileges of the user running patch.

- CVE-2014-9637 (denial of service)

It was reported that a crafted patch file can consume all available
memory and later segfault resulting in denial of service.

Impact
=====
A remote attacker is able to write to arbitrary files via a symlink
attack or consume all available memory via a crafted patch file leading
to denial of service.

References
=========
https://seclists.org/oss-sec/2015/q1/173
https://seclists.org/oss-sec/2015/q1/218
https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?44051
https://web.nvd.nist.gov/view/vuln/detail?vulnId=CVE-2015-1196
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2014-9637