Cyber ·
OpenSSH with musl libc: workaround for password authentication bypass is questioned
On the oss-sec list, Martin Steigerwald asks whether the OpenSSH workaround is enough for the password authentication bypass with musl libc and whether this behavior could cause other security problems.
On 6 November, Martin Steigerwald posted a reply on the oss-sec list to a discussion about a password authentication bypass in OpenSSH when built with musl libc. The text is a machine translation of the list feed content. In the quoted message, Matt Johnston states that if applications do not check for a NULL pointer, they should fail. Steigerwald agrees with the idea but asks whether the workaround in OpenSSH really solves the problem and whether the behavior could create security failures elsewhere. He acknowledges that the workaround is important but asks whether it is sufficient. The material does not give a CVE number, affected versions, or exploitation details, and it does not present a technical conclusion. To assess impact, consult the original message on the oss-sec list, the OpenSSH release notes, and your Linux distribution vendor advisories. If you use musl libc, check whether the installed version includes the fix or the workaround the vendor recommends. As a general measure, keep OpenSSH updated, prefer key-based authentication, restrict SSH access by network, and monitor login attempts.
Original source: Re: “sshole”: desvio da autenticação por senha no OpenSSH com musl libc