CVE-2002-1584 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in the AUTH_DES authentication for RPC in Solaris 2.5.1, 2.6, and 7, SGI IRIX 6.5 to 6.5.19f, and possibly other platforms, allows remote attackers to gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-1584 represents a critical weakness in the authentication mechanisms of several Unix-based operating systems including Solaris and IRIX. This issue specifically targets the AUTH_DES authentication protocol used within Remote Procedure Call implementations, which forms a fundamental component of distributed computing environments where services communicate across network boundaries. The flaw exists in the way these systems handle DES-based authentication, creating a pathway for unauthorized entities to escalate their privileges without proper authorization.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from weaknesses in the cryptographic implementation of the AUTH_DES mechanism, which is designed to provide secure authentication between clients and servers in RPC environments. When systems utilize DES for authentication, they typically rely on shared secrets or key derivations that, when improperly implemented, can be exploited by attackers to forge authentication tokens or bypass the authentication process entirely. This weakness allows remote adversaries to potentially impersonate legitimate users or services, thereby gaining elevated privileges on the affected systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system resources and data. In environments where RPC services are heavily utilized for system administration and inter-process communication, this flaw could provide attackers with persistent access to critical infrastructure components. The vulnerability affects multiple platforms including Solaris 2.5.1, 2.6, and 7, as well as IRIX 6.5 through 6.5.19f, indicating a widespread issue that required coordinated patching across different vendors and operating system families.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses, and represents a classic example of how flawed cryptographic implementations can create significant security risks. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that RPC authentication is fundamental to many enterprise systems, and the fact that this vulnerability affects multiple operating system vendors suggests a systemic issue in the implementation of authentication protocols. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems and consider implementing additional monitoring for suspicious authentication patterns. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique, specifically related to authentication bypass methods that leverage weaknesses in cryptographic implementations. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper cryptographic protocol implementation and the potential consequences when such implementations contain fundamental flaws that can be exploited remotely by attackers.