CVE-1999-1395 in VMS
Summary
by MITRE
vulnerability in monitor utility (sys$share:spishr.exe) in vms 5.0 through 5.4-2 allows local users to gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-1999-1395 resides within the monitor utility known as spishr.exe located in the vms sys$share directory of digital equipment corporation's vms operating system versions 5.0 through 5.4-2. This flaw represents a significant security weakness that enables local users to escalate their privileges within the system environment. The monitor utility serves as a critical system component responsible for various administrative functions and system monitoring tasks, making it a prime target for privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability specifically affects the privilege handling mechanisms within this utility, allowing unauthorized local access to elevated system permissions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper privilege validation and access control mechanisms within the spishr.exe monitor utility. When local users execute commands or interact with this utility, the system fails to properly verify the user's authorization level before granting access to privileged operations. This design flaw creates an exploitable condition where any local user can potentially bypass normal access controls and gain elevated privileges typically restricted to system administrators or privileged processes. The vulnerability operates at the operating system level rather than at the application level, making it particularly dangerous as it affects core system functionality. According to the common weakness enumeration framework, this represents a weakness categorized under cwe-264, which deals with permissions, privileges, and access control issues.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and security model of the vms operating system. Local users who exploit this vulnerability can gain access to system resources, modify critical system files, and potentially establish persistent access to the compromised system. This vulnerability undermines the principle of least privilege that is fundamental to secure system design, allowing unauthorized individuals to perform administrative functions that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no network connectivity or external exploitation; the vulnerability can be exploited through local system access alone, making it difficult to detect and prevent through traditional network monitoring approaches. The affected vms versions 5.0 through 5.4-2 represent a substantial portion of the operating system deployment base, amplifying the potential impact across various organizations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention and systematic implementation across affected vms installations. The primary recommendation involves applying the official security patches provided by digital equipment corporation to address the privilege escalation flaw in the spishr.exe utility. Organizations should also implement comprehensive access control measures, including regular privilege audits and monitoring of system access patterns to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing discretionary access control policies that limit the execution privileges of local users and restrict access to critical system utilities. The mitigation approach should align with the defense in depth principle, combining multiple layers of security controls to reduce the overall risk exposure. According to the attack technique framework, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and local exploitation, making it essential for organizations to implement proper system hardening practices and regular security assessments to prevent unauthorized access to privileged system components.