CVE-2000-0369 in OpenLinux
Summary
by MITRE
The IDENT server in Caldera Linux 2.3 creates multiple threads for each IDENT request, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2026
The vulnerability described in CVE-2000-0369 represents a classic denial of service flaw affecting the IDENT server component within Caldera Linux 2.3 operating system. This issue stems from the server's improper handling of concurrent connection requests through its threading mechanism. When remote attackers send multiple IDENT requests to the server, the system creates a new thread for each individual request without adequate resource management or connection limiting controls. This design flaw directly violates security principles regarding resource exhaustion and system stability under adversarial conditions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the IDENT protocol server's thread creation behavior where each incoming request spawns a separate execution thread without proper thread pool management or connection rate limiting. This approach creates a resource exhaustion scenario where the system's thread scheduler becomes overwhelmed with an excessive number of concurrent threads, ultimately leading to system instability and denial of service conditions. The flaw operates at the system level where insufficient input validation and resource management controls allow malicious actors to exploit the server's threading model through simple network requests.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to systems running Caldera Linux 2.3 as it allows remote attackers with minimal technical expertise to disrupt service availability. The attack requires only basic network connectivity and does not necessitate authentication or complex exploitation techniques, making it particularly dangerous in production environments. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption to potentially affect other system services that depend on the operating system's resource availability, creating cascading failures that can compromise overall system integrity and availability.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes resource exhaustion issues in software systems, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the 'Resource Exhaustion' technique. Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including disabling the IDENT service if not required, implementing connection rate limiting, or upgrading to patched versions of the operating system. Additionally, network-level firewalls should be configured to restrict access to the IDENT service port 113, and system administrators should monitor thread usage patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include comprehensive system hardening measures and regular vulnerability assessments to prevent similar issues in other services and components of the operating system infrastructure.