Bugtraq mailing list archives

Re: Crashing X


From: John Scimone <jscimone () cc gatech edu>
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2001 18:49:30 -0500

If this is true couldn't a malicious website simply set the initial value of 
the form then use javascript to submit it upon loading the page causing the 
clients X to crash?

ie.

<input type="text" value="(9000 A's)">

and have a body onload=document.forms[0].submit()?

John Scimone
CS Major @ Ga Tech


On Friday 07 December 2001 04:26 pm, you wrote:
I have discovered a little bug in K Desktop 2.1.2 that crashes your X
Server.

By using the konqueror web browser and inputting around 9000+ A's (or
whatever) into a search box (for instance www.yahoo.com's web search box) -
this will crash your X environment.

I have successfully done it using 9000 A's on one search box (crashing X
instantly),  then I used 90'000 and it also worked - but without immediate
effect (took a few seconds).

It also sometimes seems to work by just pasting 900000 A's into a search
box and before it even displays the A's X crashes.  (note: If you want it
to display the A's before X crashes paste 9000, then as soon as you click
to start the search - its bye bye X).

Sorry but I can only test it on KDE 2.1.2, because I have no other systems
available right now.

By the way:

[smackenz@mainframe smackenz]$ uname -a
Linux mainframe 2.4.2-2 #1 Sun Apr 8 20:41:30 EDT 2001 i686 unknown
(Rehat 7.1)
(KDE 2.1.2)
(this works in Gnome and KDE using with the konqueror web browser)

To test simply use a shell and type:

perl -e 'print "A" x 9000'

Then copy these, and paste them into a search form.

Also I tried this in netscape and it didn't work so it suggests its a
konqueror error somewhere or other.

Cheers

Scott Mackenzie


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