CVE-2000-0351 in UnixWare
Summary
by MITRE
Some packaging commands in SCO UnixWare 7.1.0 have insecure privileges, which allows local users to add or remove software packages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-0351 represents a critical privilege escalation issue within SCO UnixWare 7.1.0 operating system. This flaw specifically targets the packaging commands that are responsible for managing software installations and removals within the system. The vulnerability stems from improper privilege handling where these administrative commands do not adequately validate user permissions or enforce proper access controls during package operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness to manipulate the software package management system and gain elevated privileges through unauthorized package modifications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the packaging utilities that are designed to operate with elevated privileges to perform system-level modifications. However, these commands fail to properly drop privileges after initial authentication or validation checks, leaving them susceptible to manipulation by local users who can leverage this behavior to execute unauthorized package operations. The flaw essentially creates a privilege escalation vector where a regular user can leverage the packaging commands to install or remove software packages that would normally require administrative privileges, effectively bypassing the system's security model. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-276 category of insecure privilege handling, specifically addressing improper privileges for operations that should be restricted to privileged users.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant security implications for systems running SCO UnixWare 7.1.0. Local attackers who can access the system can exploit this weakness to install malicious software packages, remove critical system components, or modify existing packages to include backdoors or other malicious code. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it allows for potential system compromise through package manipulation, which can lead to persistent access, data exfiltration, or complete system takeover. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers privilege escalation through local exploits and T1059 which encompasses execution through package management tools.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2000-0351 should focus on immediate system hardening and patch management. Organizations should apply the official security patches released by SCO to address the privilege handling issues in the packaging commands. Additionally, system administrators should implement strict access controls and audit logging for all package management operations to detect unauthorized modifications. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by ensuring that only authorized administrators have access to package management utilities, and that all package operations are logged and monitored. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security measures such as file integrity monitoring for package directories and regular security assessments to identify similar privilege escalation vulnerabilities in other system components. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper privilege management in operating system utilities and highlights the need for comprehensive security reviews of all system commands that handle administrative functions.