CVE-2001-1389 in xinetd
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple vulnerabilities in xinetd 2.3.0 and earlier, and additional variants until 2.3.3, may allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary code, primarily via buffer overflows or improper NULL termination.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-1389 represents a critical security flaw affecting xinetd versions 2.3.0 through 2.3.3, with the potential for remote code execution and denial of service conditions. This vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory handling within the xinetd service management daemon, which operates as a super-server responsible for managing network services on Unix-like systems. The flaw manifests primarily through buffer overflow conditions and inadequate NULL termination handling, creating opportunities for malicious actors to exploit the service and compromise system integrity. The xinetd daemon serves as a central point of access for numerous network services, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could potentially affect multiple service endpoints simultaneously.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves several attack vectors that leverage memory corruption weaknesses within the xinetd processing logic. When xinetd receives network requests, it processes incoming data without sufficient bounds checking, leading to buffer overflow conditions that can overwrite adjacent memory locations. This memory corruption can be exploited to redirect program execution flow, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the xinetd process. The improper NULL termination aspect specifically affects string handling routines where insufficient boundary checks allow malicious input to overwrite critical memory segments. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-121 and CWE-125, which describe stack-based buffer overflow conditions and heap-based buffer overflows respectively. The attack patterns align with ATT&CK techniques focusing on command and control through service manipulation and privilege escalation via process injection.
The operational impact of CVE-2001-1389 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass full system compromise capabilities. When successfully exploited, attackers can gain persistent access to systems running vulnerable xinetd versions, potentially establishing backdoors or using the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks. The vulnerability affects systems where xinetd is used to manage services such as telnet, ftp, and other network protocols, creating widespread exposure across network infrastructure. Organizations relying on xinetd for service management face significant risk as this vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication requirements, making it particularly attractive to automated attack tools. The vulnerability's persistence in versions up to 2.3.3 indicates that the underlying memory handling issues were not adequately addressed in the development cycle, suggesting a lack of proper code review and security testing practices.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2001-1389 require immediate patching of xinetd installations to versions 2.3.4 and later, which contain the necessary security fixes for buffer overflow conditions and memory handling improvements. System administrators should implement comprehensive network segmentation to limit exposure of xinetd services and consider migrating to more modern service management solutions such as systemd or inetd implementations that have better memory safety characteristics. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in service daemons, emphasizing the need for regular security assessments and code reviews. Additionally, organizations should implement intrusion detection systems capable of identifying exploitation attempts targeting xinetd services and establish monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized access attempts. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched systems to ensure that the vulnerability has been fully addressed without introducing regressions in service functionality.