CVE-2002-1088 in GroupWise
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Novell GroupWise 6.0.1 Support Pack 1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long RCPT TO command.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1088 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw discovered in Novell GroupWise 6.0.1 Support Pack 1 email server software. This vulnerability specifically manifests within the mail server's handling of the RCPT TO command, which is a standard SMTP protocol command used to specify the recipient of an email message. The buffer overflow occurs when the server receives an excessively long RCPT TO parameter, causing the application to write data beyond the allocated memory buffer space. This fundamental memory management error creates a condition where attacker-controlled data can overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting the program's execution flow and allowing unauthorized code execution.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a classic buffer overflow attack pattern where remote attackers can craft malicious SMTP commands containing oversized RCPT TO parameters to trigger the memory corruption. When the GroupWise server processes this malformed command, the overflow can overwrite return addresses, function pointers, or other critical control data structures in the program's memory space. This memory corruption typically enables attackers to redirect program execution to malicious code injected into the buffer, effectively allowing remote code execution with the privileges of the GroupWise service account. The vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which specifically addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2002-1088 extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it represents a severe threat to email infrastructure security. Organizations relying on GroupWise 6.0.1 systems face potential complete compromise of their email services, including unauthorized access to email communications, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target these systems from anywhere on the internet without requiring local access or authentication. This makes the attack surface particularly dangerous for email servers that are directly exposed to the internet. The specific nature of the vulnerability also suggests that it could be leveraged for privilege escalation attacks, potentially allowing attackers to gain system-level access and control over the entire email infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-1088 should prioritize immediate patching of affected GroupWise installations through Novell's official security updates and support pack releases. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit direct internet access to email servers and deploy SMTP filtering solutions that can detect and block malformed RCPT TO commands. Additionally, system administrators should configure proper input validation and length checking mechanisms within their email infrastructure to prevent overly long parameters from reaching the vulnerable components. The implementation of intrusion detection systems with signature-based detection capabilities can help identify exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should include regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to ensure that the mitigation measures remain effective against evolving attack techniques. Organizations should also consider implementing email content filtering and sandboxing solutions to provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities in other email server components.