Re: BackupPC-XS zlib vulnerability

On 18/01/2026 17:32, G.W. Haywood wrote:
> In the case of BackupPC I'm not sure how easy it would be to arrange
> for these conditions to be met, but it could theoretically be achieved
> by getting BackupPC to back up or recover a crafted file.  (If users
> can e.g. run a compiler on the server they can alternatively download
> vulnerable code (any vulnerable code, not just zlib) and build it.
> Then they can do what they like with it.  I've done that for example
> to hack into a Debian box when the owner forgot the root password.
In my experience it is much easier to boot into a live distro from 
external media (DVD, USB stick, etc), mount the original system disk and 
then just zap the entry in /mnt/etc/passwd. Rule of thumb: if you have 
physical access to the hardware, the machine is yours.

All of the above assumes that the system disk is not encrypted *and* its 
encryption key has not been lost. If it is lost, you're screwed - to use 
a technical term.

Paul


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