CVE-2002-1611 in Tru64 UNIX
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in quot in HP Tru64 UNIX 5.1a, 5.1, 5.0a, 4.0g, and 4.0f allows local users to gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1611 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the quot command functionality of HP Tru64 UNIX operating systems across multiple versions including 5.1a, 5.1, 5.0a, 4.0g, and 4.0f. This issue resides in the system's disk quota management utilities where improper input validation occurs during the processing of quota-related commands. The buffer overflow vulnerability specifically manifests when the quot command handles user-supplied input parameters without adequate bounds checking, allowing malicious input to overwrite adjacent memory regions. This flaw operates at the system level and affects the core privilege management mechanisms of the operating system, creating a pathway for local attackers who already possess user-level access to escalate their privileges to the root level. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, which is classified as a severe security weakness that enables arbitrary code execution through memory corruption. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques where adversaries leverage software vulnerabilities to gain higher-level permissions within the system.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow occurs within the quot command's argument parsing mechanism where character arrays are allocated with insufficient space to accommodate user-provided input. When an attacker supplies a specially crafted argument exceeding the allocated buffer size, the excess data overflows into adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting critical program variables or return addresses. This memory corruption can be manipulated to redirect program execution flow, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no special privileges to exploit, making it accessible to any local user who can execute the quot command. The affected versions of HP Tru64 UNIX all share this common flaw in their quota management implementation, indicating a systemic issue within the operating system's core utilities. The buffer overflow specifically impacts the command-line argument handling process where the quot utility fails to properly validate the length of input parameters before processing them.
The operational impact of CVE-2002-1611 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass complete system compromise potential. Local users who exploit this vulnerability can gain root access to the system, enabling them to modify critical system files, install backdoors, or extract sensitive data from the affected system. This privilege escalation capability undermines the fundamental security model of the operating system, as it allows unauthorized access to system resources that should be protected from user-level interference. The vulnerability's exploitation typically requires minimal technical skill, making it attractive to attackers who seek to compromise systems without extensive knowledge of advanced exploitation techniques. Organizations running these affected HP Tru64 UNIX versions face significant security risks, as the vulnerability can be leveraged to establish persistent access to their systems. The impact is further compounded by the fact that these older versions of Tru64 UNIX may still be in production environments, particularly in legacy enterprise systems where upgrading to newer versions presents considerable operational challenges.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-1611 should focus on immediate patching of affected systems with the vendor-provided security updates. HP released patches specifically addressing this vulnerability in later versions of their Tru64 UNIX operating system, which should be deployed immediately across all affected systems. System administrators should also implement additional security measures including restricting local user access to the quot command, monitoring for suspicious usage patterns, and conducting regular security audits of system utilities. The implementation of proper input validation and bounds checking within system commands serves as a preventive measure against similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should consider implementing privilege separation techniques where users cannot execute commands with elevated privileges, reducing the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. Network segmentation and access controls can help limit the damage if exploitation occurs, while comprehensive logging of command execution provides forensic capabilities for incident response. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be performed to identify similar weaknesses in other system utilities that might present comparable risks. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of secure coding practices and the necessity of rigorous input validation in system-level utilities that handle user-provided data.