CVE-2003-0997 in Unicenter Remote Control Host
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown "Denial of Service Attack" vulnerability in Computer Associates (CA) Unicenter Remote Control (URC) 6.0 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption in URC host service).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/23/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0997 represents a critical denial of service weakness within Computer Associates Unicenter Remote Control version 6.0, specifically targeting the URC host service component. This flaw manifests as a resource exhaustion attack that consumes excessive cpu cycles, effectively rendering the affected system unavailable to legitimate users. The vulnerability exists within the remote control service implementation and demonstrates a significant security gap that could be exploited by malicious actors to disrupt critical network infrastructure operations.
This vulnerability operates through a specific technical mechanism that triggers abnormal cpu consumption patterns within the URC host service daemon. The flaw likely involves insufficient input validation or resource management within the service's processing routines, causing the system to enter an infinite loop or consume excessive computational resources when processing malformed or specially crafted network requests. The attack vector typically involves sending specific protocol commands or data sequences that cause the service to continuously process requests without proper termination conditions, leading to sustained high cpu utilization that can degrade or completely halt system functionality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can severely compromise the availability of critical network management infrastructure. Organizations relying on CA Unicenter Remote Control for system administration and monitoring operations face significant risks when this vulnerability is exploited, potentially leading to extended downtime for remote management capabilities. The attack can be particularly damaging in enterprise environments where remote access is essential for system maintenance and troubleshooting, as it directly impacts operational continuity and can affect multiple systems managed through the compromised URC service.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which catalogs weaknesses related to resource exhaustion and denial of service conditions. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the service stop technique, where adversaries target system services to create availability disruptions. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to this vulnerability, while also ensuring proper patch management protocols are in place to address known weaknesses in legacy systems. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and conducting regular vulnerability assessments to identify and remediate similar issues within legacy enterprise infrastructure components.