1. Ubuntu Security Notices
  2. USN-6756-1

USN-6756-1: less vulnerability

Publication date

29 April 2024

Overview

less could be made run programs as your login if it opened a specially crafted file.

Releases

Packages

  • less - pager program similar to more

Details

It was discovered that less mishandled newline characters in file names. If
a user or automated system were tricked into opening specially crafted
files, an attacker could possibly use this issue to execute arbitrary
commands on the host.

It was discovered that less mishandled newline characters in file names. If
a user or automated system were tricked into opening specially crafted
files, an attacker could possibly use this issue to execute arbitrary
commands on the host.

Update instructions

In general, a standard system update will make all the necessary changes.

Learn more about how to get the fixes.

The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions:

Ubuntu Release Package Version
24.04 noble less –  590-2ubuntu2.1
23.10 mantic less –  590-2ubuntu0.23.10.2
22.04 jammy less –  590-1ubuntu0.22.04.3
20.04 focal less –  551-1ubuntu0.3
18.04 bionic less –  487-0.1ubuntu0.1~esm2  
16.04 xenial less –  481-2.1ubuntu0.2+esm2  
14.04 trusty less –  458-2ubuntu0.1~esm1  

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References

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