CVE-2001-0353 in AIX
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the line printer daemon (in.lpd) for Solaris 8 and earlier allows local and remote attackers to gain root privileges via a "transfer job" routine.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2001-0353 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the line printer daemon service of Solaris operating systems version 8 and earlier. This issue resides in the transfer job routine of in.lpd, which is responsible for managing print jobs and handling data transfers between print clients and the print server. The buffer overflow occurs when the daemon processes incoming data without proper bounds checking, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by both local and remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows privilege escalation from regular user level to root access, effectively giving attackers complete control over the affected system.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow stems from inadequate input validation within the print job transfer mechanism. When the in.lpd daemon receives a print job request, it allocates a fixed-size buffer to store job data but fails to verify that incoming data does not exceed this predetermined limit. This classic buffer overflow condition enables attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations, including return addresses and control data structures. The flaw is classified under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow, where the overflow occurs in a stack-allocated buffer during the processing of print job data. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious print job requests that contain excessive data, causing the buffer to overflow and potentially redirect execution flow to malicious code injected by the attacker.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of systems running vulnerable Solaris versions. Local attackers with minimal privileges can leverage this flaw to gain root access, while remote attackers can exploit it over network connections to the print service. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation through exploitation of software vulnerabilities and command and control through the execution of malicious code. The affected systems become vulnerable to persistent compromise, allowing attackers to install backdoors, modify system files, or establish covert communication channels. The attack surface is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where print servers often serve as network entry points and are frequently accessible from multiple network segments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2001-0353 involve immediate patching of the vulnerable Solaris versions, with the most effective solution being the installation of the appropriate security patches provided by Oracle. Organizations should disable the print service if it is not required or implement network segmentation to limit access to print server functionality. Additional defensive measures include monitoring for suspicious print job activity, implementing access controls for print services, and conducting regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar buffer overflow conditions in other system components. System administrators should also consider disabling unnecessary print services and implementing proper network access controls to prevent unauthorized access to print server functionality. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and memory management in system services, particularly those that handle untrusted data from network sources, and underscores the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all system components.