CVE-2003-1150 in ZENworks for Desktops
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the portmapper service (PMAP.NLM) in Novell NetWare 6 SP3 and ZenWorks for Desktops 3.2 SP2 through 4.0.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via unknown attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/27/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-1150 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the portmapper service component known as PMAP.NLM in Novell NetWare 6 Service Pack 3 and ZenWorks for Desktops versions 3.2 SP2 through 4.0.1. This issue resides in the network services layer of these enterprise operating systems, specifically targeting the portmapper daemon responsible for managing RPC (Remote Procedure Call) port registration and mapping services. The buffer overflow vulnerability occurs when the service processes incoming network requests without proper input validation, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to compromise system integrity.
The technical nature of this buffer overflow vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. The flaw manifests in the PMAP.NLM service implementation where network packets containing malformed data can trigger memory corruption, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system crashes. This vulnerability operates at the kernel level network service interface, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited without requiring local system access or authentication credentials.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on Novell NetWare infrastructure, as it enables remote attackers to achieve both denial of service conditions and potential code execution capabilities. The attack vectors remain unspecified in the original CVE description, which indicates that the exact exploitation methods were not fully documented at the time of discovery. However, the nature of buffer overflow vulnerabilities in network services typically involves sending specially crafted packets that exceed buffer capacity, causing stack corruption and potentially allowing attackers to redirect execution flow to malicious code. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability and integrity of network services, potentially compromising entire network infrastructures.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying available patches from Novell, implementing network segmentation to limit access to the affected services, and monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity related to portmapper service communications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1210 - Exploitation of Remote Services, where attackers leverage service weaknesses to gain unauthorized access or execute malicious code. Additional defensive measures should include disabling unnecessary RPC services, implementing firewall rules to restrict access to portmapper ports, and conducting comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in related network services. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust network monitoring to detect and respond to exploitation attempts effectively.