CVE-2002-0358 in IRIX
Summary
by MITRE
mediamail and mediamail pro in sgi irix 6.5.16 and earlier allows local users to force the program to dump core via certain arguments which could allow the users to read sensitive data or gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0358 affects the mediamail and mediamail pro applications running on SGI IRIX 6.5.16 and earlier versions. This represents a classic buffer overflow or argument parsing flaw that manifests when specific command line arguments are provided to the applications. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the program's argument processing logic, creating a condition where malformed or specially crafted arguments can trigger unexpected program behavior.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the program's failure to properly validate or sanitize command line arguments before processing them. When certain arguments are passed to mediamail or mediamail pro, the applications enter a state where they generate core dump files containing sensitive information from memory. This occurs because the program's argument parsing routine does not adequately check argument boundaries or validate input parameters, leading to memory corruption that results in core file generation. The core dumps created in this scenario may contain sensitive data such as passwords, session tokens, or other confidential information stored in memory at the time of the crash.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant security risks to systems running affected software. Local users can exploit this flaw to potentially access sensitive data that was previously stored in memory, including authentication credentials or proprietary information. The privilege escalation aspect of this vulnerability arises from the fact that core dump files may contain information that could be leveraged by an attacker to further compromise the system. Additionally, the core dump generation process itself could be exploited to bypass certain security controls or provide information about system memory layout that would aid in more sophisticated attacks.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow conditions, though the specific implementation appears to involve argument parsing rather than traditional buffer overflows. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1068, which involves the exploitation of remote services or local applications to gain privileges, and T1005, which covers data from local system storage. The attack vector specifically utilizes T1069, privilege escalation through local service exploitation, where local users leverage program flaws to gain elevated system access.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of SGI IRIX and the affected mediamail applications, disabling unnecessary local execution of these programs, and implementing proper input validation controls. System administrators should also monitor for core dump files in system directories and establish procedures for secure core file handling. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and privilege separation would reduce the potential impact of local exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation and proper error handling in security-critical applications, particularly those that process user-provided arguments or data in sensitive environments.