CVE-2002-1536 in Molly
Summary
by MITRE
Molly IRC bot 0.5 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters in (1) the $host variable for nslookup.pl, (2) the $to, $from, or $message variables in pop.pl, (3) the $words or $text variables in sms.pl, or (4) the $server or $printer variables in hpled.pl.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/02/2024
The CVE-2002-1536 vulnerability affects Molly IRC bot version 0.5, representing a critical remote code execution flaw that stems from inadequate input validation and improper command construction within several perl scripts. This vulnerability exists across multiple modules including nslookup.pl, pop.pl, sms.pl, and hpled.pl, each handling different types of user input that are subsequently incorporated into system commands without proper sanitization. The flaw demonstrates a classic command injection vulnerability where attacker-controlled data flows directly into shell execution contexts, creating a pathway for arbitrary code execution on the affected system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the direct concatenation of user-supplied variables into shell commands without appropriate escaping or filtering mechanisms. When the IRC bot processes commands from users, it accepts input through various variables such as $host in nslookup.pl, $to, $from, or $message in pop.pl, $words or $text in sms.pl, and $server or $printer in hpled.pl. These variables are then passed directly to system calls without proper validation or sanitization, allowing malicious actors to inject shell metacharacters that alter the intended command execution flow. This pattern violates fundamental security principles and creates a direct pathway for command injection attacks as outlined in CWE-78.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching, as it allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the system hosting the IRC bot with the privileges of the user running the bot. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform reconnaissance, escalate privileges, install backdoors, or completely compromise the system. The distributed nature of IRC networks means that a compromised bot could serve as a command and control node for further attacks or act as a launching point for lateral movement within networks. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and represents a critical weakness in the bot's architecture that violates security best practices for input handling and command execution.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-1536 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and sanitization across all affected modules. The most effective approach involves implementing strict input filtering that removes or escapes shell metacharacters from user-supplied data before it is incorporated into system commands. Additionally, privilege separation should be implemented to ensure the IRC bot runs with minimal required permissions, and all input should be validated against whitelists of acceptable characters and patterns. System administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring to detect suspicious command execution patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices as specified in OWASP Top Ten and the need for comprehensive input validation as recommended in NIST SP 800-160 guidelines for secure software development.