CVE-2003-0951 in HP-UX
Summary
by MITRE
Partition Manager (parmgr) in HP-UX B.11.23 does not properly validate certificates that are provided by the cimserver, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive data or gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0951 resides within the Partition Manager component of HP-UX B.11.23 operating system, specifically affecting the certificate validation mechanism used during communication with the cimserver service. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that undermines the integrity of the system's authentication process and creates pathways for unauthorized access to sensitive system resources. The vulnerability stems from inadequate certificate validation procedures that fail to properly verify the authenticity and trustworthiness of certificates presented by the cimserver, potentially allowing malicious actors to establish fraudulent connections and bypass normal security controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the partition manager's failure to perform comprehensive certificate validation checks when establishing secure connections with the cimserver component. This weakness allows attackers to exploit the system's trust model by presenting forged or untrusted certificates that would normally be rejected by proper validation mechanisms. The flaw operates at the transport layer security level where certificate-based authentication should ensure that only legitimate system components can communicate with each other. When certificates are not properly validated, attackers can potentially impersonate legitimate system services and gain access to restricted functionality. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation, and represents a classic example of trust boundary violations in security protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure to encompass potential privilege escalation and system compromise scenarios. Attackers who successfully exploit this weakness can gain unauthorized access to sensitive system information, potentially including configuration details, user credentials, and system architecture data. The vulnerability creates opportunities for attackers to establish persistent access points within the system infrastructure, as the compromised certificate validation process could enable ongoing unauthorized communication with the cimserver service. This poses significant risks to system integrity and confidentiality, particularly in enterprise environments where HP-UX systems manage critical infrastructure components and sensitive data repositories. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts usage and privilege escalation through system service manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2003-0951 should prioritize immediate system updates and patches provided by HP to address the certificate validation flaw in the partition manager component. Organizations must implement comprehensive certificate management policies that enforce strict validation procedures for all system communications, including regular certificate audits and monitoring for unauthorized certificate installations. System administrators should consider implementing additional network segmentation measures to limit the attack surface and reduce the potential impact of certificate validation failures. The remediation process should include thorough testing of updated systems to ensure that certificate validation mechanisms function correctly and that no regressions have been introduced. Additionally, organizations should establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous certificate usage patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while also implementing proper access controls and privilege management to minimize the potential damage from successful attacks.