CVE-2002-1450 in U2 Universe
Summary
by MITRE
IBM UniVerse with UV/ODBC allows attackers to cause a denial of service (client crash or server CPU consumption) via a query with an invalid link between tables, possibly via a buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1450 affects IBM UniVerse database management system when utilizing the UV/ODBC driver component. This security flaw represents a critical weakness in the database connectivity layer that can be exploited to disrupt normal system operations through deliberate manipulation of database query structures. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the system processes queries containing malformed table linkages that create invalid relationships between database objects within the UniVerse environment.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and error handling mechanisms within the UV/ODBC driver implementation. When processing database queries with invalid table linking structures, the system fails to properly validate the integrity of these relationships before attempting to execute the query. This deficiency creates an exploitable condition where crafted malicious queries can trigger buffer overflow conditions or cause excessive CPU consumption patterns that ultimately lead to system instability. The vulnerability operates at the interface level between client applications and the database server, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through standard database connectivity protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass potential system compromise and data accessibility issues. Attackers can leverage this weakness to either crash client applications that connect to the UniVerse database or consume excessive server resources through CPU-intensive processing of malformed queries. The buffer overflow condition can potentially be exploited to execute arbitrary code on the target system, though the primary threat remains the denial of service scenario that renders database services unavailable to legitimate users. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on UniVerse for critical business operations where database availability directly impacts operational continuity.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying available vendor patches and updates to the UV/ODBC driver components, implementing network segmentation to limit access to database servers, and establishing robust input validation controls for all database query interfaces. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a variant of the broader category of input validation flaws that can lead to denial of service conditions. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which covers network denial of service attacks, and potentially T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter usage in crafting malicious database queries. System administrators should also consider implementing database query monitoring and anomaly detection to identify potentially malicious query patterns before they can be exploited to cause system disruption.