CVE-2002-2004 in Tru64
Summary
by MITRE
portmapper in Compaq Tru64 4.0G and 5.0A allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a flood of packets.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/11/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-2004 targets the portmapper service running on Compaq Tru64 Unix operating systems version 4.0G and 5.0A. This critical flaw resides in the network services layer of the operating system and represents a classic example of a denial of service vulnerability that can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication. The portmapper service, which is part of the ONC RPC (Open Network Computing Remote Procedure Call) framework, is responsible for mapping RPC program numbers to network ports, making it a fundamental component for distributed computing services. When exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers to flood the portmapper with malformed or excessive packets, causing the service to become unresponsive or crash entirely.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and resource management within the portmapper daemon. The service fails to properly handle high volumes of incoming packets or malformed requests, leading to resource exhaustion or memory corruption that ultimately results in service disruption. This flaw operates at the network protocol level and demonstrates poor defensive programming practices that violate fundamental security principles. The vulnerability can be classified under CWE-400, which specifically addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" or "Resource Exhaustion" in software systems, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for "Network Denial of Service" attacks. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform simple flood attacks that overwhelm the portmapper service, effectively disrupting all RPC-based services that depend on it for port mapping.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as the portmapper service is essential for the functioning of numerous distributed applications including NFS (Network File System), NIS (Network Information Service), and other RPC-based services. When compromised, the entire network infrastructure relying on these services becomes vulnerable to cascading failures, potentially affecting file sharing, user authentication, and system administration capabilities across the affected network. Organizations running Compaq Tru64 Unix systems in production environments face significant risk of operational downtime and business disruption. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not need physical access or network proximity, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in networked environments. This type of vulnerability also represents a potential stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, as it can be used to create conditions that facilitate further exploitation of other system components.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of affected systems with the vendor-provided security updates, network segmentation to isolate critical systems, and implementation of rate limiting or packet filtering rules at network boundaries. System administrators should also consider disabling unnecessary RPC services when they are not actively required, and implement comprehensive monitoring to detect unusual packet patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and demonstrates the critical need for proper resource management in network services. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on suspicious packet flooding patterns. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other network services and ensure that defensive measures are adequate against evolving threat landscapes. The incident serves as a reminder of the fundamental importance of robust input validation and resource management in network services, particularly those that operate as critical infrastructure components within enterprise environments.