CVE-2002-1447 in VPN Client
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the vpnclient program for UNIX VPN Client before 3.5.2 allows local users to gain administrative privileges via a long profile name in a connect argument.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1447 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the vpnclient program of UNIX VPN Client software versions prior to 3.5.2. This issue resides in the handling of user-supplied input during the connection process, specifically when processing profile names provided in connect arguments. The vulnerability manifests as a classic stack-based buffer overflow that occurs when the application fails to properly validate the length of profile names passed to the vpnclient utility, allowing attackers to exceed the allocated buffer space and overwrite adjacent memory locations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages the fact that the vpnclient program does not perform adequate bounds checking on the profile name parameter provided in the connect command. When a local user supplies a sufficiently long profile name, the program's internal buffer allocation cannot accommodate the excessive input, leading to memory corruption that can be manipulated to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. This particular flaw is classified under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow, where the overflow occurs in a stack buffer due to insufficient bounds checking. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires only local user access to exploit, making it accessible to any user with shell access to the system.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant privilege escalation vector that allows local attackers to gain administrative privileges on systems running vulnerable versions of the UNIX VPN Client. The impact extends beyond simple local privilege escalation as it can enable attackers to compromise the entire network infrastructure managed by the VPN client, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive network resources and data. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on older versions of the VPN client software, particularly those that have not implemented proper patch management procedures. The exploitability of this vulnerability is enhanced by the fact that it operates within the context of a legitimate program, making detection more challenging for security monitoring systems.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate patching of the affected vpnclient software to version 3.5.2 or later, which contains proper bounds checking and input validation mechanisms. Organizations should also implement runtime protection measures such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and non-executable stack protections to reduce the effectiveness of potential exploitation attempts. System administrators should conduct comprehensive audits to identify all systems running vulnerable versions of the software and ensure that proper access controls are in place to limit local user privileges where possible. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in vpnclient usage, particularly when long profile names are passed as arguments, as this could indicate attempted exploitation of the vulnerability. The remediation process should align with industry best practices for vulnerability management and should include thorough testing of patches in controlled environments before deployment to production systems.