CVE-2000-0358 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE
ORBit and gnome-session in Red Hat Linux 6.1 allows remote attackers to crash a program.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/23/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-0358 represents a critical security flaw affecting ORBit and gnome-session components within Red Hat Linux 6.1 systems. This issue manifests as a remote denial of service condition that can be exploited by attackers positioned outside the local network to disrupt system operations. The vulnerability specifically targets the ORBit (Object Request Broker) component which serves as a middleware framework for distributed applications, and the gnome-session service responsible for managing desktop sessions in the GNOME desktop environment. Both components form essential parts of the graphical user interface infrastructure in this particular Linux distribution version.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the ORBit and gnome-session implementations. When these services process malformed or unexpected network requests, they fail to properly handle the input data, leading to memory corruption or resource exhaustion conditions. This flaw typically occurs during the parsing of remote procedure calls or session management communications where the applications do not adequately validate the structure and content of incoming data. The vulnerability falls under the category of buffer overflows and improper input validation as classified by CWE-121 and CWE-125, which are fundamental weaknesses in software design that allow attackers to manipulate application behavior through crafted inputs.
The operational impact of CVE-2000-0358 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise system availability and user experience within affected environments. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to systematically crash desktop sessions, forcing users to log out and restart their graphical environments. In enterprise settings, this could result in widespread service interruptions affecting multiple users simultaneously, particularly in environments where GNOME desktop sessions are heavily utilized. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require local access or authentication credentials to trigger the denial of service conditions, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where system administrators may not have complete visibility into all network traffic.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems through the distribution of updated ORBit and gnome-session packages from Red Hat. System administrators should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of these services to untrusted networks while monitoring for unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which describes denial of service via resource exhaustion, and organizations should consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for patterns consistent with this type of attack. Additionally, implementing proper input validation measures and conducting regular security assessments of middleware components can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future system deployments. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures specifically addressing denial of service conditions to ensure rapid containment and recovery when such vulnerabilities are exploited in the wild.