** Description changed: [IMPACT] - nss is not a FIPS certified library. On a machine running FIPS enabled kernel, the library by default goes into FIPS mode if /proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled=1. This is an untested configuration and since libnss3 is not a certified library we propose disabling reading the 'fips_enabled' flag and therefore switching the library automatically into FIPS mode. A FIPS customer reported firefox crash on a FIPS enabled system and strace showed it was repeatedly trying to read the fips_enabled flag from libnss3 before crashing. + nss is not a FIPS certified library. On a machine running FIPS enabled kernel, the library by default goes into FIPS mode if /proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled=1. This is an untested configuration and since libnss3 is not a certified library we propose disabling reading the 'fips_enabled' flag and therefore switching the library automatically into FIPS mode. A FIPS customer reported firefox crash on a FIPS enabled system and strace showed it was repeatedly trying to read the fips_enabled flag from libnss3 before crashing. The proposed patch disables reading the /proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled flag. The users of the library however can force nss into FIPS mode via an environment variable. We plan to leave it as is so as not to regress existing users who may be using it. The issue impacts libnss3 versions in eoan, disco, bionic and xenial. lsb_release -rd Description: Ubuntu Eoan Ermine (development branch) Release: 19.10 + + Version: 2:3.45-1ubuntu1 + + lsb_release -rd + Description: Ubuntu Disco Dingo + Release: 19.04 + + Version: 2:3.42-1ubuntu2 + + lsb_release -rd + Description: Ubuntu Bionic Beaver + Release: 18.04 + + Version: 2:3.35-2ubuntu2.3 + + lsb_release -rd + Description: Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS + Release: 16.04 + + Version: 2:3.28.4-0ubuntu0.16.04 + + FIX] + This fix proposes to disable libnss3 reading /proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled. We only want fips certified modules reading this file and running in fips mode. libnss3 is not one of our + fips certified modules, so should not be reading this along with our fips certified modules to determine whether to run in fips mode. + + Users who do want to run the library in FIPS mode can do so by using the + environment variable "NSS_FIPS". We propose to leave it as is so as not + to regress anyone using this. The user who is using this option should + be doing so with the awareness. + + + [TEST] + Tested on a xenial and bionic desktop ISO running FIPS enabled kernel and in FIPS mode. With the patch fix no crashes were observed when launching firefox browser. + Without the patch fix, firefox crashes. + + [REGRESSION POTENTIAL] + The regression potential for this is small. A FIPS kernel is required to + create /proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled and it is not available in standard ubuntu archive. For users forcing FIPS through environment variable, nothing has changed.
-- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1837734 Title: firefox crash on a FIPS enabled machine due to libnss3 To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nss/+bug/1837734/+subscriptions -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list [email protected] https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
