CVE-2001-0432 in Interscan Viruswall
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflows in various CGI programs in the remote administration service for Trend Micro Interscan VirusWall 3.01 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-0432 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw affecting CGI programs within Trend Micro Interscan VirusWall 3.01 remote administration service. This vulnerability exists in the network security software designed to protect against malware and other malicious threats, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments that rely on such protection mechanisms. The buffer overflow conditions occur when the CGI applications process user-supplied input without proper bounds checking, creating opportunities for attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the CGI scripts that form part of the remote administration interface. When legitimate users or attackers provide specially crafted input parameters to these CGI programs, the applications fail to properly validate the length of incoming data before copying it into fixed-length buffers. This classic buffer overflow condition allows malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary code within the context of the web server process. The flaw specifically affects the remote administration service component, which typically operates with elevated privileges, amplifying the potential impact of successful exploitation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations utilizing Trend Micro Interscan VirusWall 3.01, as it enables remote code execution without authentication requirements. Attackers can leverage this weakness to gain full control over the infected system, potentially leading to complete compromise of the network security infrastructure. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not need physical access to the system or local network presence to launch attacks, making it particularly dangerous for perimeter security solutions. Organizations may experience unauthorized access to sensitive network data, system disruption, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2001-0432 involve immediate application of vendor patches and updates provided by Trend Micro to address the buffer overflow conditions in the affected CGI programs. System administrators should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the vulnerable service to untrusted networks. Additionally, input validation mechanisms should be enhanced across all CGI applications, and the principle of least privilege should be enforced for web server processes. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation would enable adversaries to execute arbitrary commands on the compromised system.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability, as it represents a significant threat to network security infrastructure. The combination of remote exploitability and the potential for privilege escalation makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous for enterprise environments. Regular security assessments and vulnerability management programs should be implemented to identify and remediate similar buffer overflow conditions in other network security applications. The incident highlights the importance of secure coding practices and thorough input validation in web applications, particularly those handling administrative functions within security-critical systems.