CVE-2000-0013 in IRIX
Summary
by MITRE
IRIX soundplayer program allows local users to gain privileges by including shell metacharacters in a .wav file, which is executed via the midikeys program.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-0013 resides within the IRIX operating system's soundplayer program, specifically exposing a critical privilege escalation flaw that affects local users. This vulnerability demonstrates a classic command injection weakness where the soundplayer application fails to properly sanitize user input when processing .wav files, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by malicious actors within the system.
The technical flaw manifests through the improper handling of shell metacharacters within audio file metadata or content. When a local user crafts a specially formatted .wav file containing shell metacharacters, the soundplayer program processes this file through the midikeys program, which subsequently executes the embedded commands with elevated privileges. This represents a failure in input validation and command execution sanitization that directly violates secure coding practices and security principles. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-78 as "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')", which is a well-documented weakness that has been consistently exploited across various systems throughout the industry.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows local users to escalate their privileges from standard user level to root or administrative access without requiring authentication. This creates a severe security risk where any user with access to the system can potentially gain complete control over the IRIX environment. The exploitation process leverages the existing system functionality rather than requiring external attack vectors, making it particularly dangerous as it operates within the trusted application boundaries. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers "Local Privilege Escalation" through the exploitation of system services and applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2000-0013 require immediate patching of the affected IRIX systems through official vendor updates that address the input sanitization flaw in the soundplayer program. System administrators should implement strict file validation for audio content and consider disabling unnecessary sound player functionality when not required. Additionally, privilege separation mechanisms should be enforced to ensure that applications processing user-supplied data operate with minimal required privileges. The fix should include proper input validation and sanitization of all user-supplied content, particularly when this data is subsequently passed to shell execution contexts. Network segmentation and access controls can also serve as compensating controls to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities in environments where immediate patching is not immediately feasible.