CVE-2000-0801 in HP-UX
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in bdf program in HP-UX 11.00 may allow local users to gain root privileges via a long -t option.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/27/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2000-0801 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the bdf program component of HP-UX 11.00 operating system. This issue manifests when the program processes command line arguments, specifically the -t option, which is designed to handle terminal type specifications. The buffer overflow occurs because the program fails to properly validate the length of input provided through this option, allowing an attacker to exceed the allocated buffer space and overwrite adjacent memory regions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages the fundamental principle of buffer overflow attacks where insufficient input validation permits malicious data to overwrite critical program memory structures. When a local user provides an excessively long argument to the -t option, the bdf program's internal buffer cannot accommodate the input, causing the overflow to overwrite the return address on the stack. This memory corruption enables the attacker to redirect program execution flow and ultimately escalate privileges to root level access.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant security risk as it allows local users to gain root privileges without requiring remote network access or complex attack vectors. The exploitability is relatively straightforward since the attack requires only local system access and knowledge of the specific command line interface. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as root access provides complete system control, enabling attackers to modify system files, install backdoors, or extract sensitive data from the compromised HP-UX system.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which categorizes buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows data to overwrite adjacent memory locations. The attack pattern corresponds to the ATT&CK technique T1068, which describes 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' through the exploitation of software vulnerabilities. The local privilege escalation aspect also relates to T1548.001, 'Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism' within the context of Unix/Linux systems where local users can exploit system binaries to gain elevated privileges.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of the affected HP-UX systems with the vendor-provided security updates, implementing input validation controls within the bdf program to prevent buffer overflows, and conducting comprehensive security audits of system binaries to identify similar vulnerabilities. System administrators should also enforce least privilege principles, restrict local user access to system binaries, and implement monitoring solutions to detect suspicious command line usage patterns that might indicate attempted exploitation of similar buffer overflow vulnerabilities.