USN-2461-3: PyYAML vulnerability

Publication date

12 January 2015

Overview

Applications using PyYAML could be made to crash if they received specially crafted input.


Packages

  • pyyaml - YAML parser and emitter for Python

Details

Stanisław Pitucha and Jonathan Gray discovered that PyYAML did not
properly handle wrapped strings. An attacker could create specially
crafted YAML data to trigger an assert, causing a denial of service.

Stanisław Pitucha and Jonathan Gray discovered that PyYAML did not
properly handle wrapped strings. An attacker could create specially
crafted YAML data to trigger an assert, causing a denial of service.

Update instructions

After a standard system update you need to restart applications using PyYAML to 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
14.10 utopic python-yaml –  3.11-1ubuntu0.1
python3-yaml –  3.11-1ubuntu0.1
14.04 trusty python-yaml –  3.10-4ubuntu0.1
python3-yaml –  3.10-4ubuntu0.1
12.04 precise python-yaml –  3.10-2ubuntu0.1
python3-yaml –  3.10-2ubuntu0.1

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