CVE-2003-0574 in IRIX
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in SGI IRIX 6.5.x through 6.5.20, and possibly earlier versions, allows local users to cause a core dump in scheme and possibly gain privileges via certain environment variables, a different vulnerability than CVE-2001-0797 and CVE-1999-0028.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0574 represents a significant security flaw affecting SGI IRIX operating systems in versions 6.5.x through 6.5.20, with potential impacts on earlier releases. This issue specifically targets the scheme interpreter, which serves as a fundamental component in the IRIX environment for executing Scheme programming language code. The vulnerability manifests through improper handling of environment variables, creating a pathway for local attackers to exploit system stability and potentially escalate privileges. Unlike similar vulnerabilities such as CVE-2001-0797 and CVE-1999-0028, this flaw demonstrates distinct characteristics in its exploitation vectors and system impact, making it particularly concerning for organizations maintaining legacy IRIX installations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the scheme interpreter's environment variable processing mechanism. When specific environment variables are manipulated in predetermined ways, the interpreter fails to properly sanitize or validate these inputs before processing them, leading to unpredictable behavior that can result in core dump generation. This core dump generation represents a critical system instability that can be leveraged by malicious actors to either crash system processes or potentially gain elevated privileges through exploitation of the underlying memory corruption patterns. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level where environment variables are processed, making it particularly dangerous as it bypasses standard user-space protections and directly impacts system integrity.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to organizations relying on legacy IRIX systems, particularly those in scientific computing, engineering, or specialized industrial environments where such systems remain operational. The local privilege escalation aspect means that any user with access to the system could potentially exploit this vulnerability to gain higher privileges, creating a serious compromise of system security. The core dump generation capability provides attackers with information about system memory layout and potentially sensitive data, while also serving as an initial exploitation vector for more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions of IRIX indicates it was likely present for an extended period, giving attackers ample time to develop and refine exploitation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2003-0574 should focus on immediate system hardening measures including comprehensive environment variable sanitization, implementation of strict input validation controls, and system monitoring for anomalous core dump generation. Organizations should consider disabling unnecessary scheme interpreter functionality when not required, implementing proper access controls to limit local user privileges, and establishing robust system monitoring to detect unauthorized environment variable modifications. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and potentially CWE-122 for heap-based buffer overflows, though the specific nature of this vulnerability suggests it operates more closely to CWE-20, which covers general input validation issues. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and defense evasion through system instability, with potential lateral movement opportunities through compromised system integrity. The vulnerability's impact classification places it in the high-risk category for legacy system environments where patching is not feasible, requiring organizations to implement compensating controls and potentially consider system migration strategies.