CVE-2001-0772 in HP-UX
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflows and other vulnerabilities in multiple Common Desktop Environment (CDE) modules in HP-UX 10.10 through 11.11 allow attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly gain additional privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/27/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-0772 represents a critical security flaw affecting the Common Desktop Environment CDE modules within HP-UX operating systems versions 10.10 through 11.11. This issue encompasses multiple buffer overflow conditions that stem from inadequate input validation and memory management practices within the CDE framework. The Common Desktop Environment serves as a graphical user interface for HP-UX systems and includes various modules responsible for desktop functionality, application launching, and system integration. These buffer overflows occur when applications process user-supplied data without proper bounds checking, allowing malicious inputs to overwrite adjacent memory locations and potentially execute arbitrary code.
The technical exploitation of these buffer overflows in CDE modules creates significant operational risks for affected systems. Attackers can leverage these vulnerabilities to cause system crashes and denial of service conditions by sending malformed input to vulnerable CDE applications. More critically, some of these buffer overflows may permit privilege escalation attacks where malicious users could potentially elevate their privileges from standard user level to root or administrative access. The nature of these vulnerabilities aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. These flaws typically manifest when programs fail to validate input length before copying data into fixed-size buffers, creating opportunities for attackers to overwrite return addresses, function pointers, or other critical memory structures.
The operational impact of CVE-2001-0772 extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass potential system compromise and unauthorized access. Organizations running affected HP-UX versions face risks of unauthorized privilege escalation, system instability, and possible complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects core desktop environment functionality, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where desktop systems serve as primary user interfaces. Security professionals should note that these buffer overflows often map to ATT&CK techniques such as T1068, which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation', and T1499, which involves 'Endpoint Denial of Service'. The attack surface is broad since CDE modules are integral to system operations and frequently interact with user inputs through various graphical interfaces and command processing mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2001-0772 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from HP, as the vulnerabilities represent fundamental flaws in system security architecture. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to affected systems and monitor for suspicious activity patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected CDE modules and ensure complete patch coverage across all systems. Additional defensive measures include implementing proper input validation controls, disabling unnecessary CDE functionality where possible, and establishing robust monitoring protocols to detect potential buffer overflow exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current system patches and following security best practices for graphical interface components that handle user input, as these components often represent high-value attack vectors in enterprise environments.