CVE-2002-0041 in IRIX
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in Mail for SGI IRIX 6.5 through 6.5.15f, and possibly earlier versions, when running with the -R option, allows local and remote attackers to cause a core dump.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0041 represents a critical security flaw in the Mail application distributed with SGI IRIX operating systems, specifically affecting versions 6.5 through 6.5.15f and potentially earlier releases. This issue manifests when the Mail application is executed with the -R command line option, creating a condition that can be exploited by both local and remote attackers to force the application to generate core dump files. The vulnerability falls under the category of denial of service conditions where attacker-controlled processes can trigger system resource exhaustion through core file generation, potentially leading to system instability and service disruption.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the improper handling of command line arguments when the -R option is specified. The Mail application fails to properly validate or sanitize input parameters, creating a scenario where maliciously crafted input can cause the application to crash and generate core dump files. This behavior creates a potential exploitation vector that aligns with CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions, though the specific implementation may involve improper resource management or input validation flaws. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic weakness in software design where user-supplied parameters are not adequately filtered or checked before being processed by the application.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to system administrators and security operators managing SGI IRIX environments. The ability for both local and remote attackers to trigger core dumps creates multiple attack vectors that can be leveraged for service disruption or system instability. Core dump files can consume substantial disk space and may contain sensitive information from the application memory, creating additional security concerns beyond simple denial of service. Attackers could potentially exploit this vulnerability to fill disk partitions with core files, leading to system crashes or making the system unavailable for legitimate users, which aligns with the ATT&CK technique of Resource Exhaustion under the Defense Evasion and Impact domains.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can potentially expose sensitive system information through core dump files that may contain memory contents from the Mail application, including potentially confidential email data or system credentials. System administrators should consider implementing monitoring for unexpected core dump file generation as an indicator of potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in system design, where applications should not be allowed to generate core dumps without proper authorization or validation of input parameters. Mitigation strategies should include updating to patched versions of the Mail application, implementing proper access controls to prevent unauthorized execution of the application with potentially dangerous options, and monitoring system resources for abnormal core dump file generation patterns. Organizations should also consider implementing automated alerts for core dump creation and regularly review system logs for suspicious activity related to the Mail application execution with the -R option.