CVE-2004-0411

Name of the Vulnerable Software and Affected Versions KDE versions 3.2.2 and earlier

Description The issue is related to the URI handlers in Konqueror, which do not properly filter "-" characters that begin a hostname in certain URIs, such as telnet, rlogin, ssh, or mailto. This allows remote attackers to manipulate the options passed to associated programs, possibly reading arbitrary files or executing arbitrary code. The problem is triggered by an input validation error within the telnet URI handler, where a specially crafted request containing "-" characters can pass options to the telnet utility, potentially allowing the creation or truncation of arbitrary files and resulting in a loss of integrity.

Recommendations For KDE versions 3.2.2 and earlier, consider disabling the telnet URI handler as a temporary workaround until a patch is available. Restrict access to the telnet utility to minimize the risk of exploitation. Avoid using the "-" character in the hostname of telnet, rlogin, ssh, or mailto URIs to prevent manipulation of options passed to the associated programs.