CVE-2001-0229 in Chilisoft
Summary
by MITRE
Chili!Soft ASP for Linux before 3.6 does not properly set group privileges when running in inherited mode, which could allow attackers to gain privileges via malicious scripts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-0229 affects Chili!Soft ASP for Linux versions prior to 3.6, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that exploits improper group privilege handling in inherited execution modes. This vulnerability resides within the web application server component that processes active server pages and enables dynamic content generation on linux platforms. The flaw specifically manifests when the application server operates in inherited mode, where it fails to correctly establish the appropriate group permissions for executing processes, creating a security boundary violation that can be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate privilege management within the Chili!Soft ASP implementation, where group permissions are not properly enforced during process execution. When the application server runs in inherited mode, it should maintain proper security contexts and privilege levels, but instead inherits group memberships that grant elevated access rights. This misconfiguration allows attackers to craft malicious scripts that can leverage the inherited group privileges to escalate their access level within the system. The vulnerability operates at the operating system level where process permissions and group membership controls are not properly enforced, creating a pathway for unauthorized privilege elevation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive resources. Attackers exploiting this flaw can gain elevated privileges that enable them to execute arbitrary code, modify system files, access restricted data, and potentially establish persistent access within the compromised environment. The inherited mode execution context makes this particularly dangerous as it can allow attackers to bypass normal security controls that would otherwise prevent privilege escalation. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-276, which addresses improper privileges for system resources, and represents a classic example of insufficient privilege separation in web application servers.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2001-0229 should focus on immediate patching of Chili!Soft ASP for Linux to version 3.6 or later, where the group privilege handling has been corrected. Organizations should also implement strict access controls and privilege separation measures, ensuring that web application servers operate with minimal required privileges. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by configuring the application server to run with reduced group memberships and avoiding inherited mode execution where possible. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous privilege escalation attempts and suspicious script execution patterns. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers privilege escalation through the exploitation of system configuration weaknesses, and demonstrates how improper privilege management can create persistent security risks in web application environments.