CVE-2002-1506 in linuxconf
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Linuxconf before 1.28r4 allows local users to execute arbitrary code via a long LINUXCONF_LANG environment variable, which overflows an error string that is generated.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/24/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1506 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Linuxconf administrative tool suite prior to version 1.28r4. This issue manifests through improper input validation of the LINUXCONF_LANG environment variable, creating a pathway for local attackers to escalate privileges and execute malicious code on affected systems. The vulnerability resides in the error string generation mechanism where the tool fails to properly bounds-check the length of the environment variable input, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow occurs when the Linuxconf tool processes the LINUXCONF_LANG environment variable during its initialization phase. The tool allocates a fixed-size buffer to store error messages and user input, but does not validate the length of the provided environment variable value. When a local user supplies a sufficiently long value for LINUXCONF_LANG, the input exceeds the allocated buffer space, causing adjacent memory to be overwritten. This memory corruption can be leveraged to overwrite critical program execution control structures such as return addresses or function pointers, enabling arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the Linuxconf process.
From an operational perspective this vulnerability presents a significant risk to system security as it allows local users to gain elevated privileges without requiring authentication. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it does not require network access or remote exploitation capabilities, making it accessible to anyone with local system access. The vulnerability affects systems running Linuxconf versions prior to 1.28r4, which were commonly used for system administration tasks in enterprise and server environments. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially compromise the entire system, as the attacker can execute arbitrary commands with the same privileges as the Linuxconf tool itself, which typically runs with elevated permissions.
The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation'. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation practices and inadequate memory management within the Linuxconf application. Organizations should immediately implement the patch provided by the Linuxconf developers to upgrade to version 1.28r4 or later, which includes proper bounds checking for environment variable inputs. Additional mitigations include restricting local user access to systems running Linuxconf, implementing proper environment variable sanitization, and monitoring for unusual process behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider alternative system administration tools that have been more rigorously tested for security vulnerabilities and maintain up-to-date inventory of all administrative tools deployed across their infrastructure to prevent similar issues in other software components.