CVE-2002-1140 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
The Sun Microsystems RPC library Services for Unix 3.0 Interix SD, as implemented on Microsoft Windows NT4, 2000, and XP, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (service hang) via malformed packet fragments, aka "Improper parameter size check leading to denial of service."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/09/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1140 affects the Sun Microsystems RPC library Services for Unix 3.0 Interix SD implementation on Microsoft Windows NT4, 2000, and XP systems. This flaw represents a classic example of improper input validation that can be exploited to disrupt system services. The vulnerability specifically targets the Remote Procedure Call functionality that enables distributed computing operations across networked systems. The affected implementation demonstrates a critical weakness in how the system processes incoming network packets, particularly those containing malformed fragments that do not conform to expected parameter sizes.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate parameter size validation within the RPC processing code. When the system receives network packets with malformed fragment structures, the implementation fails to properly validate the size parameters before processing the data. This oversight creates a condition where the system becomes vulnerable to a denial of service attack through carefully crafted packet fragments that exceed expected parameter boundaries. The flaw operates at the protocol level where the RPC service handles incoming requests, making it particularly dangerous as it can disrupt critical system services without requiring authentication or elevated privileges. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of parameter sizes, and represents a form of buffer over-read or memory access violation that can cause service instability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise system availability and reliability. When exploited, the malformed packet fragments cause the RPC service to hang or become unresponsive, effectively rendering the system unable to process legitimate remote procedure calls. This denial of service condition can persist until the affected service is manually restarted or the system is rebooted, creating significant operational challenges for network administrators. The vulnerability affects multiple Windows operating systems from the NT4 era through XP, indicating a widespread exposure across legacy systems that may still be in production environments. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely without requiring any special privileges, making it particularly attractive for network-based attacks that target system availability rather than data confidentiality or integrity.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the ATT&CK framework under the T1499.004 technique for "Network Denial of Service" and the broader T1498 category for "Network Denial of Service" attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates how legacy implementations can contain fundamental flaws that persist across multiple system versions, emphasizing the importance of proper input validation in network services. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to limit exposure, firewall rules to restrict RPC traffic, and system updates where possible. The vulnerability also highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of legacy systems, particularly those implementing distributed computing protocols that may have been developed with less stringent security considerations than modern standards. Regular security assessments and vulnerability management processes should specifically target these older implementations to identify and remediate similar parameter validation issues that could lead to service disruption attacks.