CVE-2002-1634 in NetWare
Summary
by MITRE
Novell NetWare 5.1 installs sample applications that allow remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via (1) ndsobj.nlm, (2) allfield.jse, (3) websinfo.bas, (4) ndslogin.pl, (5) volscgi.pl, (6) lancgi.pl, (7) test.jse, or (8) env.pl.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-1634 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Novell NetWare 5.1 systems that stems from the installation of sample applications designed for demonstration purposes. These sample applications, while intended to showcase system capabilities, inadvertently create security exposure points that malicious actors can exploit to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system information. The vulnerability affects multiple components including ndsobj.nlm, allfield.jse, websinfo.bas, ndslogin.pl, volscgi.pl, lancgi.pl, test.jse, and env.pl, indicating a systemic weakness in the sample application deployment rather than isolated component failures.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through remote access methods that allow attackers to interact with the installed sample applications without requiring authentication or privileged access. The ndsobj.nlm module specifically targets Novell Directory Services objects, while the various scripting components like allfield.jse and test.jse provide javascript execution capabilities that can be leveraged to extract directory information. The perl scripts ndslogin.pl and volscgi.pl, along with the basic script websinfo.bas, create additional attack vectors that can be used to gather system configuration details, user information, and potentially administrative credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the gathered sensitive information can serve as a foundation for more sophisticated attacks within the network infrastructure. Attackers can use the leaked information to map network topology, identify system configurations, and potentially escalate privileges through targeted exploitation of other vulnerabilities. This weakness particularly affects enterprise environments where Novell NetWare systems serve as directory services platforms, making the exposure of directory information potentially devastating to overall security posture. The vulnerability demonstrates poor security practices in software distribution, where sample applications are installed with insufficient access controls and security hardening measures.
Security mitigation strategies should focus on immediate removal of the sample applications from production environments, implementation of proper access controls for remaining system components, and comprehensive security auditing of all installed software packages. System administrators should disable unnecessary services and applications, particularly those included as samples or demonstrations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses information exposure, and represents a classic example of insufficient privilege separation in software deployments. From an att&ck framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to initial access and reconnaissance phases, specifically leveraging T1087 for account discovery and T1069 for permission groups. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to directory services and establish regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar issues in legacy systems. The incident highlights the importance of security-by-design principles and the necessity of conducting thorough security reviews of all software components, particularly those distributed with sample or demonstration functionality.