CVE-2003-0072 in Kerberos
Summary
by MITRE
The Key Distribution Center (KDC) in Kerberos 5 (krb5) 1.2.7 and earlier allows remote, authenticated attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) on KDCs within the same realm using a certain protocol request that causes an out-of-bounds read of an array (aka "array overrun").
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0072 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the Kerberos 5 authentication system, specifically affecting Key Distribution Center implementations in versions 1.2.7 and earlier. This issue resides within the core authentication infrastructure that many enterprise networks rely upon for secure network access and single sign-on capabilities. The vulnerability manifests when the KDC processes certain protocol requests from authenticated users, creating a scenario where malicious actors can trigger system instability and complete service disruption.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the KDC's processing of authentication requests. When a specially crafted protocol message is submitted to the KDC, it triggers an out-of-bounds memory read operation that results in an array overrun condition. This memory corruption occurs because the system fails to properly bounds-check array indices before accessing memory locations, allowing an attacker to manipulate the program flow through carefully constructed input data. The flaw specifically impacts the KDC's handling of certain authentication protocol elements, particularly those related to ticket validation and session management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service interruption, as it can compromise the entire authentication infrastructure within a Kerberos realm. An authenticated attacker with access to the network can exploit this weakness to crash KDC services, effectively preventing legitimate users from obtaining authentication tickets and accessing protected resources. This creates a cascading effect where not only does the primary authentication service fail, but dependent systems that rely on Kerberos for authentication also become inaccessible. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Kerberos is widely deployed for securing critical business applications and services.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper input validation leading to buffer overflows, and can be categorized under the MITRE ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and denial of service techniques. The attack vector requires only authenticated access to the network, making it relatively accessible to insiders or attackers who have gained initial network credentials. Organizations should implement immediate patch management procedures to upgrade to krb5 versions 1.3.0 or later where this vulnerability has been resolved through proper bounds checking and input validation mechanisms. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous authentication traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while regular security assessments should verify the integrity of Kerberos implementations across all network domains.