CVE-2002-0311 in OpenUnix
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in webtop in UnixWare 7.1.1 and Open UNIX 8.0.0 allows local and possibly remote attackers to gain root privileges via shell metacharacters in the -c argument for (1) in scoadminreg.cgi or (2) service_action.cgi.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2025
This vulnerability exists in the webtop component of UnixWare 7.1.1 and Open UNIX 8.0.0 operating systems, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that can be exploited by both local and remote attackers to achieve root-level system control. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation within two specific CGI scripts: scoadminreg.cgi and service_action.cgi, where shell metacharacters are not adequately sanitized when processing the -c argument. This weakness falls under the CWE-78 category of Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command, which is a fundamental security flaw that allows attackers to inject malicious commands through command-line interfaces.
The technical exploitation occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input containing shell metacharacters such as semicolons, ampersands, or backticks and passes them as the -c argument to either of the vulnerable CGI scripts. When these scripts execute system commands without proper sanitization, the injected metacharacters are interpreted by the underlying shell, enabling arbitrary command execution with the privileges of the web server process. Given that web servers typically run with elevated privileges, successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise and root access. This vulnerability operates at the intersection of command injection and privilege escalation, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged from remote locations without requiring prior authentication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with unrestricted access to the entire system. Once root privileges are obtained, attackers can modify system files, install backdoors, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent access through various attack techniques. The vulnerability affects systems running UnixWare 7.1.1 and Open UNIX 8.0.0, which were widely deployed in enterprise environments during the early 2000s, making this a significant concern for organizations that had not yet migrated to more modern operating systems. The attack surface is broad since these CGI scripts are part of the standard web administration interface, potentially allowing attackers to leverage this vulnerability through web-based attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the affected operating systems, as vendors released updates to address the command injection flaws in the webtop components. System administrators should implement proper input validation and sanitization for all CGI scripts that process user-supplied data, particularly those that execute system commands. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by running web server processes with minimal required permissions rather than root privileges. Additionally, network segmentation and firewall rules can limit access to the vulnerable web interfaces, while monitoring and logging of web server activities can help detect potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1068 for Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, highlighting the need for comprehensive defensive measures across multiple security domains.