1.131. NetworkManager

Updated NetworkManager packages that fix two security issues are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.

This update has been rated as having moderate security impact by the Red Hat Security Response Team.

NetworkManager is a network link manager that attempts to keep a wired or wireless network connection active at all times.

A missing network certificate verification flaw was found in NetworkManager. If a user created a WPA Enterprise or 802.1x wireless network connection that was verified using a Certificate Authority (CA) certificate, and then later removed that CA certificate file, NetworkManager failed to verify the identity of the network on the following connection attempts. In these situations, a malicious wireless network spoofing the original network could trick a user into disclosing authentication credentials or communicating over an untrusted network. (CVE-2009-4144)

An information disclosure flaw was found in NetworkManager's nm-connection-editor D-Bus interface. If a user edited network connection options using nm-connection-editor, a summary of those changes was broadcasted over the D-Bus message bus, possibly disclosing sensitive information (such as wireless network authentication credentials) to other local users. (CVE-2009-4145)

Users of NetworkManager should upgrade to these updated packages, which contain backported patches to correct these issues.

Updated NetworkManager packages that resolve several issues are now available.

NetworkManager is a network link manager that attempts to keep a wired or wireless network connection active at all times.

These updated NetworkManager packages provide fixes for the following bugs:

* creating a new wired connection which uses 802.1x security and then attempting to use that connection during the same desktop session resulted in NetworkManager being unable to establish that connection. As a workaround, logging out of the current desktop session and logging back in allowed the secure connection to be used. With this update, wired connections using 802.1x security can be used as soon as they are created. (BZ#477061)

* due to a coding error, NetworkManager rejected WPA passkeys of exactly 63 ASCII characters in length, even though such a passkey is valid according to the standard. This was caused by a coding error which has been fixed in this update, thus correctly permitting 63-character passkeys. (BZ#532723)

* NetworkManager failed to initialize certain Option NV mobile broadband (3G) devices. Much-improved support has been added for newer mobile broadband devices manufactured by Option NV, such as AT&T Quicksilver modems. (BZ#536897)

All users of NetworkManager are advised to upgrade to these updated packages, which resolve these issues.