CVE-2002-1475 in Tru64
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in the ARP component for HP Tru64 UNIX 4.0f, 4.0g, and 5.0a allows remote attackers to "take over packets destined for another host" and cause a denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1475 represents a critical flaw within the Address Resolution Protocol implementation of HP Tru64 UNIX operating systems versions 4.0f, 4.0g, and 5.0a. This issue resides in the fundamental network communication layer that translates network addresses into physical hardware addresses, creating a potential pathway for malicious actors to manipulate network traffic flow. The ARP component serves as a crucial bridge between network layer addressing and data link layer addressing, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to disrupt network operations or gain unauthorized access to network resources. The vulnerability specifically enables remote attackers to intercept and redirect packets intended for legitimate network hosts, fundamentally compromising the integrity of network communications. This flaw operates at the network protocol level, affecting the core functionality that ensures proper packet delivery within local network segments.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of ARP messages within the HP Tru64 UNIX kernel implementation. Attackers can exploit this weakness by sending specially crafted ARP responses that appear legitimate to the target system, causing the operating system to update its ARP cache with incorrect mappings. This allows the malicious actor to position themselves as an intermediary in network communications, effectively enabling packet interception and manipulation. The flaw essentially permits a man-in-the-middle attack scenario where network traffic can be redirected without the knowledge of either the sender or receiver. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers need not have physical access to the network segment, as they can perform the attack from any location with network connectivity to the affected system. This characteristic significantly increases the attack surface and makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in networked environments where trust relationships are established based on network protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it fundamentally compromises network security and integrity. When successful, attackers can not only disrupt network communications but also potentially intercept sensitive data, modify network traffic, or establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. The ability to redirect packets destined for other hosts creates opportunities for sophisticated attacks including data exfiltration, network reconnaissance, and establishment of persistent backdoors. Organizations relying on HP Tru64 UNIX systems for critical network operations face significant risks, as this vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass traditional network security measures and gain unauthorized access to network resources. The denial of service aspect of this vulnerability can result in complete network disruption, affecting business continuity and potentially causing financial losses due to extended downtime and security breach remediation costs.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-1475 should prioritize immediate system updates and patches provided by HP to address the ARP implementation flaw. Organizations must implement network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous ARP activity patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and the implementation of ARP spoofing detection mechanisms can help limit the impact of successful attacks. The use of static ARP entries for critical network hosts can prevent automatic ARP cache updates that might be exploited by attackers. Additionally, implementing network access controls and firewall rules that restrict ARP traffic between trusted network segments can reduce the attack surface. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments and network audits to identify systems running affected HP Tru64 UNIX versions. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability maps to CWE-1147 which deals with improper handling of Address Resolution Protocol messages, while ATT&CK framework categorizes this under network infiltration techniques involving ARP cache poisoning and man-in-the-middle attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing network intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on suspicious ARP activity patterns that align with this specific vulnerability's exploitation methods.