CUPS Vulnerability Allows Attackers to Execute Code
Security researchers at Secunia have discovered a vulnerability in the Cups printing system.
A vulnerability detected in the standard printing system on Linux and Mac OS X, Cups, has been assigned the CVE number 2007-4351.
In the original advisory the Secunia experts write that the problem is caused by an error in the "ippReadIO()" function in the "cups/ipp.c" file. The vulnerability occurs when IPP tags (Internet Printing Protocol) are executed. Attackers could exploit the vulnerability by sending an IPP request with carefully crafted "textWithLanguage" or "nameWithLanguage" tags. This overwrites a byte on the stack with a zero. If the attack succeeds, the attacker may be able to execute arbitrary code on the target system.
The error was found in Cups 1.3.3 although other versions may be affected. As an update is not available at present, security experts recommend restricting the use of the printing system to trusted network environments.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Debian Unleashes Debian Libre Live
Debian Libre Live keeps your machine free of proprietary software.
-
Valve Announces Pending Release of Steam Machine
Shout it to the heavens: Steam Machine, powered by Linux, is set to arrive in 2026.
-
Happy Birthday, ADMIN Magazine!
ADMIN is celebrating its 15th anniversary with issue #90.
-
Another Linux Malware Discovered
Russian hackers use Hyper-V to hide malware within Linux virtual machines.
-
TUXEDO Computers Announces a New InfinityBook
TUXEDO Computers is at it again with a new InfinityBook that will meet your professional and gaming needs.
-
SUSE Dives into the Agentic AI Pool
SUSE becomes the first open source company to adopt agentic AI with SUSE Enterprise Linux 16.
-
Linux Now Runs Most Windows Games
The latest data shows that nearly 90 percent of Windows games can be played on Linux.
-
Fedora 43 Has Finally Landed
The Fedora Linux developers have announced their latest release, Fedora 43.
-
KDE Unleashes Plasma 6.5
The Plasma 6.5 desktop environment is now available with new features, improvements, and the usual bug fixes.
-
Xubuntu Site Possibly Hacked
It appears that the Xubuntu site was hacked and briefly served up a malicious ZIP file from its download page.