CVE-2002-0351 in CFS
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflows in CFS daemon (cfsd) before 1.3.3-8.1, and 1.4x before 1.4.1-5, allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/27/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0351 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the CFS daemon (cfsd) software, which was prevalent in versions prior to 1.3.3-8.1 and 1.4.x versions before 1.4.1-5. This daemon serves as a core component in certain network file systems, particularly those implementing the CFS (Cluster File System) protocol for distributed storage environments. The buffer overflow condition arises from insufficient input validation and improper memory management within the daemon's processing routines, creating exploitable entry points for malicious actors. The flaw specifically affects how the daemon handles incoming network requests and data processing, making it susceptible to malformed input that exceeds allocated buffer boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from classic buffer overflow exploitation patterns where attacker-controlled data is copied into fixed-size memory buffers without proper bounds checking. This allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting program execution flow and enabling arbitrary code execution. The nature of the CFS daemon as a network service makes it particularly vulnerable to remote exploitation, as attackers can craft malicious packets or requests that trigger the overflow condition during normal operational processing. The vulnerability operates at the application layer of the network stack, requiring minimal privileges for exploitation and potentially allowing full system compromise when successful.
The operational impact of CVE-2002-0351 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass potential complete system compromise. When exploited successfully, the buffer overflow can lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the cfsd process, which typically runs with elevated permissions in cluster environments. This creates a significant risk for distributed computing systems where multiple nodes rely on the CFS daemon for shared storage operations. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not need physical access to the target system, enabling widespread compromise of cluster environments and potentially affecting multiple connected systems simultaneously. Organizations with distributed storage architectures using affected versions of CFS daemon face substantial risk of data breaches, system outages, and unauthorized access to critical infrastructure components.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected systems to versions 1.3.3-8.1 or later 1.4.1-5 releases that contain the necessary buffer overflow protections and input validation improvements. System administrators should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the CFS daemon to untrusted networks, while also monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of how improper input validation can lead to remote code execution. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving remote code execution and privilege escalation, potentially enabling adversaries to establish persistent access within cluster environments. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and maintain comprehensive backup and recovery procedures to address potential system compromise.