CVE-2002-1573 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the pcilynx ieee1394 firewire driver (pcilynx.c) in Linux kernel before 2.4.20 has unknown impact and attack vectors, related to "wrap handling."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/28/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1573 resides within the pcilynx ieee1394 firewire driver implementation in the Linux kernel version 2.4.20 and earlier. This driver component specifically manages firewire hardware connections through the pcilynx chipset, which is commonly found in various firewire controller implementations. The vulnerability is categorized as unspecified in its impact and attack vectors, indicating that the exact nature of the security flaw was not fully documented at the time of reporting. The issue is directly linked to "wrap handling" within the driver's code implementation, suggesting a problem related to how the driver manages data buffer wrapping or circular buffer operations during firewire communication protocols. This type of vulnerability typically indicates a potential buffer management flaw that could lead to memory corruption or privilege escalation.
The technical flaw manifests in the pcilynx.c driver's handling of wrap conditions that occur during firewire data transfers. When dealing with circular buffers or data structures that wrap around to their beginning after reaching the end, improper handling can lead to memory corruption or access violations. The wrap handling mechanism in firewire drivers is critical because firewire communication involves continuous data streaming with specific timing requirements. In this context, the vulnerability likely stems from insufficient bounds checking or improper pointer arithmetic when managing the circular buffer operations that are fundamental to firewire protocol implementations. This type of issue falls under the broader category of buffer overflows or memory corruption vulnerabilities that can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to system resources or execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability to potentially enable privilege escalation attacks that could allow malicious actors to gain root access to affected systems. Firewire interfaces are commonly used for high-speed data transfer and device communication, making them attractive targets for attackers who seek to exploit kernel-level vulnerabilities. The unspecified nature of the impact suggests that depending on the specific conditions and system configurations, the vulnerability could potentially lead to denial of service, data corruption, or full system compromise. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability through malicious firewire devices or by exploiting the firewire interface on compromised systems to execute arbitrary code in kernel space, which would provide complete control over the affected machine. This aligns with the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation tactics, where kernel-level vulnerabilities are used to gain elevated system privileges.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-1573 primarily involve upgrading to Linux kernel version 2.4.20 or later, where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper wrap handling implementations in the pcilynx driver. System administrators should also implement firewire interface restrictions by disabling firewire support when not required, or by using firewire port blocking mechanisms to prevent unauthorized device connections. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper buffer management in kernel drivers and highlights the need for comprehensive testing of edge cases such as wrap conditions in circular buffer implementations. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual firewire activity or potential exploitation attempts. From a security compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which covers improper validation of array index, and CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions that are commonly associated with buffer handling flaws. The attack surface reduction through kernel hardening measures and proper access controls around firewire interfaces represents the most effective defense against exploitation of this type of vulnerability.