CVE-2001-0525 in dqs
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in dsh in dqs 3.2.7 in SuSE Linux 7.0 and earlier, and possibly other operating systems, allows local users to gain privileges via a long first command line argument.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/08/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2001-0525 represents a classic buffer overflow flaw within the dsh (distributed shell) utility version 3.2.7 found in SuSE Linux 7.0 and earlier releases. This issue resides in the command line argument processing mechanism of the dsh utility, which is designed to execute commands across multiple remote systems in a distributed computing environment. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the first command line argument exceeds the allocated buffer space, creating a condition where arbitrary data can overwrite adjacent memory locations. This type of flaw falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-121, which encompasses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a significant security risk in distributed computing environments where multiple systems are managed through a single interface.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow occurs during the initialization phase of the dsh utility when it processes command line arguments passed to the program. When a local user provides an excessively long first argument, the program fails to properly validate the input length against the predetermined buffer size, allowing the overflow to occur. This overflow can potentially overwrite the return address on the stack or other critical program variables, enabling an attacker to manipulate the program execution flow. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates with local user privileges, meaning that any user on the system can exploit this flaw to potentially escalate their privileges to root level access. The attack vector leverages the principle of privilege escalation through software exploitation, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 for privilege escalation and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple local privilege escalation, as it can compromise the integrity of distributed computing environments where dsh is commonly deployed. In enterprise settings where multiple systems are managed through distributed shell utilities, an attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain unauthorized access to multiple systems within the network. The flaw affects not only SuSE Linux 7.0 but potentially other operating systems that include the same vulnerable version of dsh, making it a widespread concern for system administrators. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and buffer management in system utilities, particularly those that handle user input in multi-system environments. Organizations using affected versions of dsh should immediately implement patches or workarounds to prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability could be leveraged to establish persistent access to networked systems and potentially facilitate further attacks.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the need for comprehensive security testing of system utilities and the importance of following secure coding practices. The flaw exemplifies how seemingly benign input processing can become a critical security weakness when proper bounds checking is omitted. Security practitioners should implement regular vulnerability assessments of system utilities and ensure that all software components undergo rigorous security testing before deployment. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining current system versions and applying security patches promptly, as the affected version of dsh was likely patched in subsequent releases. Organizations should consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures for handling such vulnerabilities. The vulnerability serves as a reminder that even utilities designed for system administration can contain security flaws that could be exploited by malicious actors to compromise entire network infrastructures.