CVE-2002-0039 in IRIX
Summary
by MITRE
rpcbind in SGI IRIX 6.5 through 6.5.15f, and possibly earlier versions, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via malformed RPC packets with invalid lengths.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/27/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0039 affects the rpcbind service component in SGI IRIX operating system versions 6.5 through 6.5.15f, with potential impact on earlier releases. This represents a classic denial of service weakness that exploits improper handling of remote procedure call packet structures. The rpcbind service acts as a port mapper for rpc services and is critical for distributed computing environments where remote procedure calls are utilized. When malformed RPC packets containing invalid length fields are received, the service fails to properly validate input data structures, leading to system instability and potential crash conditions.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the rpcbind implementation. Specifically, the service does not properly sanitize or verify the length fields contained within incoming RPC packets before processing them. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of array indices and buffer overflows in system components. The flaw operates at the protocol level where the rpcbind daemon receives network traffic and processes it without sufficient bounds checking on packet headers. When an attacker sends RPC packets with manipulated length values that exceed expected parameters or contain invalid data structures, the rpcbind service attempts to process these malformed inputs, resulting in memory corruption or execution flow disruption that ultimately causes system crashes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise entire distributed computing environments that rely on rpcbind for service discovery and port mapping. In enterprise settings where IRIX systems may be running critical applications, a successful exploitation could lead to extended downtime for network services, data access interruptions, and potential cascading failures across interconnected systems. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows remote attackers to trigger system instability without requiring authentication or elevated privileges, making it an attractive target for malicious actors seeking to disrupt operations. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks targeting system availability.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of security patches provided by SGI or through system updates that address the input validation issues within rpcbind. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to limit access to rpcbind services to trusted networks only, reducing the attack surface available to remote adversaries. Additionally, monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unusual patterns in RPC traffic that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation in network services and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of protocol implementations. System administrators should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify malformed RPC packets and alert security teams to potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of legacy systems running IRIX should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network services that may be affected by similar input validation shortcomings.