CVE-2002-0597 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
LANMAN service on Microsoft Windows 2000 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU/memory exhaustion) via a stream of malformed data to microsoft-ds port 445.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-0597 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the LANMAN service of Microsoft Windows 2000 systems. This vulnerability specifically targets the microsoft-ds port 445 which is the standard port for the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol used for file sharing and network communication. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the service by sending a sequence of malformed data packets that trigger resource exhaustion conditions on the target system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the LANMAN service implementation. When the service receives malformed data on port 445, it fails to properly handle the malformed packets, leading to excessive CPU utilization and memory consumption. This occurs because the service does not adequately sanitize incoming data streams before processing them, allowing malicious inputs to cause the system to allocate resources in an uncontrolled manner. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-129 as an insufficient input validation issue, where the system fails to properly validate the range or length of input data.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to enterprise networks as it allows attackers to remotely consume system resources without requiring authentication or elevated privileges. The attack can be executed from any location on the network, making it particularly dangerous for systems exposed to the internet or poorly segmented networks. Successful exploitation results in sustained high CPU usage and memory exhaustion, effectively rendering the targeted Windows 2000 system unavailable to legitimate users and potentially causing cascading failures in network services that depend on the affected system.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can be leveraged as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks within a network environment. Network administrators may find that the system becomes unresponsive to legitimate requests while the malicious traffic continues to consume resources. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which describes network denial of service attacks. Organizations may also experience indirect impacts including increased support costs, service interruptions, and potential business continuity issues when systems become unresponsive due to resource exhaustion.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of network segmentation to limit access to port 445, deployment of firewalls to block external access to the microsoft-ds port, and application of Microsoft security patches. The most effective long-term solution involves upgrading from Windows 2000 to supported operating systems that have addressed these fundamental input validation flaws. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual resource consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing rate limiting on SMB connections and configuring intrusion detection systems to identify malformed SMB packets can provide additional protection layers against similar attacks targeting the SMB protocol stack.