CVE-2001-0608 in MPE
Summary
by MITRE
HP architected interface facility (AIF) as includes with MPE/iX 5.5 through 6.5 running on a HP3000 allows an attacker to gain additional privileges and gain access to databases via the AIF - AIFCHANGELOGON program.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-0608 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within HP's Architected Interface Facility (AIF) component of MPE/iX operating systems. This issue affects versions 5.5 through 6.5 of the MPE/iX operating system running on HP3000 hardware platforms, creating a significant security weakness that allows unauthorized users to elevate their privileges and access sensitive database resources. The vulnerability specifically resides within the AIFCHANGELOGON program, which serves as a critical interface component for authentication and access control within the system architecture.
The technical flaw stems from improper access controls and privilege validation mechanisms within the AIFCHANGELOGON program. This program, designed to facilitate user authentication and session management, contains a code path that allows malicious actors to bypass normal authentication procedures and escalate their privileges to administrative levels. The vulnerability operates through a weakness in the program's input validation and privilege checking routines, enabling attackers to manipulate authentication parameters and gain unauthorized access to system resources. This issue directly relates to CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and demonstrates a classic example of privilege escalation through flawed authorization mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial for organizations utilizing HP3000 systems with affected MPE/iX versions. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can gain full administrative access to the system, potentially leading to complete system compromise and unauthorized data access. The ability to access databases through the compromised AIF interface creates additional risks for data confidentiality and integrity, as attackers can read, modify, or delete sensitive information stored within the database systems. This vulnerability affects the fundamental security model of the MPE/iX operating system and could result in significant data breaches and system disruptions for affected organizations.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant security patches provided by HP to address the privilege escalation vulnerability in the AIFCHANGELOGON program. System administrators should conduct thorough security assessments to identify and disable unnecessary AIF components, particularly those that expose privileged interfaces to untrusted users. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit exposure of the affected systems to trusted network segments only. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves exploiting legitimate credentials and privileges to gain system access. Regular monitoring of system logs for unusual authentication patterns and privilege escalation attempts should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing multi-factor authentication mechanisms and regular security audits to strengthen their overall security posture against similar vulnerabilities.