CVE-2001-0366 in saposcol
Summary
by MITRE
saposcol in SAP R/3 Web Application Server Demo before 1.5 trusts the PATH environmental variable to find and execute the expand program, which allows local users to obtain root access by modifying the PATH to point to a Trojan horse expand program.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2001-0366 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw in SAP R/3 Web Application Server Demo versions prior to 1.5. This issue stems from the saposcol component's improper handling of the PATH environment variable during the execution of the expand program. The flaw demonstrates a classic insecure direct object reference pattern where the system blindly trusts user-controlled environment variables without proper validation or sanitization. The PATH variable serves as a critical component in Unix-like systems for determining program locations, and when applications rely on this variable without adequate security controls, they become susceptible to path manipulation attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the saposcol utility attempts to locate and execute the expand program by searching through directories specified in the PATH environment variable. This design flaw allows local attackers to manipulate their environment by prepending malicious directories to the PATH variable, causing the system to execute a crafted Trojan horse version of the expand program instead of the legitimate system binary. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-78, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in OS commands, and represents a form of command injection where the attack vector is through environment variable manipulation rather than direct command input.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it enables local users to escalate their privileges to root level access on the affected system. This privilege escalation occurs because the expand program is likely executed with elevated privileges, and when a malicious version is substituted through PATH manipulation, the attacker can execute arbitrary code with root permissions. The attack requires minimal sophistication and can be executed by any local user with basic system access, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where privilege separation is expected. This vulnerability effectively undermines the principle of least privilege and creates a persistent backdoor for attackers who gain local access to the system.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on eliminating the trust in user-controllable PATH variables for critical system operations. The recommended approach involves implementing explicit program path resolution that does not rely on environment variables for locating executables, particularly for programs that execute with elevated privileges. Organizations should also consider implementing proper privilege separation techniques where the application runs with minimal required privileges and only elevates permissions when absolutely necessary. Additionally, system administrators should conduct regular security audits to identify and remediate similar path manipulation vulnerabilities across all system components, following ATT&CK technique T1068 which addresses privilege escalation through local exploitation. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation, particularly when dealing with environment variables and system command execution, as outlined in various secure coding standards and best practices for preventing such exploitation vectors.