CVE-2002-1612 in HP-UX
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in mailcv 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-2002-1612 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the mailcv component 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 mailcv utility which is responsible for handling mail delivery and processing within the Tru64 UNIX environment, making it a significant target for privilege escalation attacks. The buffer overflow occurs when the application fails to properly validate input lengths before copying data into fixed-size buffers, creating exploitable conditions that can be leveraged by local attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking within the mailcv application's handling of user-supplied input parameters. When local users provide crafted input to the mailcv utility, the application does not adequately verify the size of incoming data before performing memory copy operations. This failure allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and control data structures, potentially enabling them to redirect program execution flow and execute malicious code. The vulnerability specifically affects the application's stack-based buffer handling mechanisms, where the fixed-size buffers are insufficient to accommodate malicious input payloads. According to CWE classification, this represents a classic buffer overflow vulnerability categorized under CWE-121, which specifically addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions that can lead to arbitrary code execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2002-1612 is substantial as it provides local users with the capability to escalate their privileges from standard user level to root access within the affected HP Tru64 UNIX systems. This privilege escalation vulnerability fundamentally compromises the system's security model, as local attackers who may already have limited access to the system can exploit this flaw to gain administrative control. The implications extend beyond simple privilege elevation since the compromised system can then be used as a launch point for further attacks within the network infrastructure. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access, modify system configurations, access sensitive data, or deploy additional malicious payloads. The vulnerability affects systems running multiple versions of HP Tru64 UNIX, indicating a widespread exposure across the platform's lifecycle and suggesting that organizations with legacy systems may be particularly at risk.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems with the vendor-provided security updates. HP released specific patches addressing this buffer overflow issue in their Tru64 UNIX operating systems, and organizations must apply these updates promptly to eliminate the exploitability of this vulnerability. System administrators should also implement additional security controls including mandatory access controls, privilege separation mechanisms, and monitoring of system calls related to mailcv functionality. Network segmentation and least privilege principles should be enforced to limit potential attack surfaces, while regular security audits should verify that no unauthorized modifications have occurred. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would fall under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the execution of malicious code with elevated privileges, making it a critical target for defensive security measures. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify attempts to exploit buffer overflow vulnerabilities through anomalous system behavior patterns.