CVE-2002-0993 in Instant Support
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in HP Instant Support Enterprise Edition (ISEE) product U2512A for HP-UX 11.00 and 11.11 may allow authenticated users access to access restricted files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0993 represents a critical access control flaw within HP Instant Support Enterprise Edition version U2512A specifically targeting HP-UX 11.00 and 11.11 operating systems. This issue manifests as an insufficient authorization mechanism that permits authenticated users to bypass normal file access restrictions and gain unauthorized access to sensitive system files. The vulnerability exists within the enterprise support software solution designed to provide remote diagnostics and support capabilities for HP hardware systems, creating a potential security risk that extends beyond the typical scope of system administration tools.
The technical implementation of this flaw stems from inadequate validation of user permissions within the ISEE application's file access subsystem. When authenticated users interact with the software, the system fails to properly enforce mandatory access controls that should restrict file access based on user roles and privileges. This weakness allows users who have successfully authenticated to the system to potentially access files that should be restricted to administrators or specific authorized personnel. The vulnerability operates at the application level where file system access controls are improperly enforced, creating a pathway for privilege escalation and information disclosure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized file access, potentially enabling attackers to extract sensitive system information, modify critical configuration files, or gain deeper insights into the system's operational environment. Attackers could leverage this weakness to gather system intelligence, identify potential further attack vectors, or establish persistent access points within the target environment. The vulnerability affects organizations using HP-UX 11.00 and 11.11 systems where the ISEE software is deployed, creating a significant risk for enterprise environments that rely on this support infrastructure. This weakness particularly impacts organizations with strict security policies where unauthorized access to system files could violate compliance requirements and expose sensitive operational data.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to CWE-284 which describes improper access control mechanisms, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and privilege escalation. The flaw demonstrates a classic case of insufficient authorization checks that could be exploited through social engineering or legitimate user account compromise. Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to patched versions of the ISEE software, implementing additional access controls, and conducting thorough audits of system file permissions. System administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to systems running the vulnerable software and establish monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized file access attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper access control implementation in enterprise support software and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of management and diagnostic tools.