CVE-2001-1033 in TruCluster
Summary
by MITRE
Compaq TruCluster 1.5 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a port scan from a system that does not have a DNS PTR record, which causes the cluster to enter a "split-brain" state.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/04/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-1033 affects Compaq TruCluster 1.5 systems, which are high-availability clustering solutions designed to provide fault tolerance and continuous operation for mission-critical applications. This particular flaw represents a significant security weakness in the cluster's network handling mechanisms that can be exploited by remote attackers to disrupt system availability. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the cluster encounters network traffic from systems lacking proper DNS PTR record configurations, creating a condition that fundamentally compromises the cluster's operational integrity.
The technical flaw resides in how Compaq TruCluster 1.5 processes incoming network connections and performs cluster membership validation. When a remote system attempts to connect to the cluster without a valid DNS PTR record, the system's network stack fails to properly handle this condition, leading to a cascading failure that results in the cluster entering a "split-brain" state. This condition occurs because the cluster's quorum mechanism becomes confused about the legitimacy of network connections, causing it to incorrectly split into multiple independent partitions rather than maintaining a single coherent cluster state. The absence of proper DNS PTR record validation creates a logic flaw in the cluster's network communication handling that directly enables this denial of service condition.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it fundamentally undermines the reliability and availability guarantees that clustering systems are designed to provide. When a cluster enters a split-brain state, it can lead to data inconsistency issues, application failures, and complete service unavailability across the affected system. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered remotely without requiring authentication or specialized privileges, making it accessible to any attacker with network access to the cluster. The attack vector specifically targets the cluster's network reconnaissance capabilities, where port scanning activities from systems without proper DNS records can trigger the vulnerability. Organizations relying on Compaq TruCluster 1.5 for critical infrastructure face potential business disruption and data integrity risks that could be exploited by malicious actors seeking to compromise system availability.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues and CWE-119 Improper Restriction of Operations within a Limited Access Scope, as it demonstrates inadequate access control mechanisms and improper handling of network operations within the cluster's limited scope. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1499 Network Denial of Service and T1071 Application Layer Protocol, specifically targeting the network protocols used by the clustering system. The lack of proper input validation and network state management in the cluster's communication handling represents a fundamental design flaw that could be exploited by attackers to cause cascading failures. Organizations should implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect unusual scanning patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while also applying vendor-provided patches or upgrading to newer versions of the clustering software that address this specific vulnerability. The incident highlights the critical importance of proper DNS configuration and network infrastructure management in maintaining cluster availability and preventing exploitation of such fundamental design weaknesses.