CVE-2000-0360 in INN
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in INN 2.2.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a maliciously formatted article.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2014
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-0360 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the INN (InterNetNews) news server software version 2.2.1 and earlier. This issue affects the core functionality of Usenet news servers that rely on INN for handling article processing and distribution. The buffer overflow occurs during the parsing of incoming news articles, specifically when the software encounters malformed or maliciously crafted article content that exceeds the allocated buffer space. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-121, which categorizes buffer overflow conditions where insufficient boundary checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the lack of proper input validation within the INN software's article processing pipeline. When a remote attacker sends a specially crafted news article containing excessive data in headers or body content, the software fails to properly bounds-check the input before copying it into fixed-size buffers. This flaw enables attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially causing the news server process to crash or behave unpredictably. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication and can be executed remotely, making it an attractive target for denial of service attacks against news server infrastructure. The vulnerability specifically impacts the article handling component of INN, which is fundamental to its operation as a news server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can lead to complete server compromise or enable more sophisticated attacks. When the buffer overflow occurs, it typically results in a segmentation fault or process termination, causing the news server to become unavailable to legitimate users. This denial of service condition can severely impact organizations that rely on Usenet news distribution for communication, software distribution, or information sharing. The vulnerability affects the availability aspect of the CIA triad, potentially disrupting critical communication channels within organizations that depend on news server infrastructure. Attackers could leverage this weakness to target specific news servers, causing widespread disruption to Usenet-based communication networks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2000-0360 involve immediate software updates to versions of INN that have addressed this buffer overflow issue through proper input validation and bounds checking. System administrators should implement network-level filtering to restrict article content that exceeds reasonable size limits, although this approach provides only partial protection. The most effective remediation involves upgrading to INN versions 2.2.2 or later, which contain patches specifically designed to address the buffer overflow conditions. Additionally, implementing proper input sanitization and validation mechanisms within news server configurations can help prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that monitor for unusual article processing patterns and maintain regular security assessments of their news server infrastructure to identify potential vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1499.004 technique for network denial of service attacks, highlighting the need for comprehensive defensive measures that address both the immediate exploit and broader security posture of affected systems.