CVE-2003-1358 in HP-UX
Summary
by MITRE
rs.F300 for HP-UX 10.0 through 11.22 uses the PATH environment variable to find and execute programs such as rm while operating at raised privileges, which allows local users to gain privileges by modifying the path to point to a malicious rm program.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/20/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2003-1358 represents a classic privilege escalation flaw affecting rs.F300 software on HP-UX systems running versions 10.0 through 11.22. This issue stems from the improper handling of the PATH environment variable within the software's execution context, creating a dangerous condition where local attackers can manipulate system behavior through environmental manipulation. The rs.F300 software operates with elevated privileges during its execution, making it a prime target for privilege escalation attacks that exploit the trust placed in standard system utilities.
The technical flaw manifests when the rs.F300 program attempts to execute system utilities such as rm without explicitly specifying their full paths. Instead, it relies on the PATH environment variable to locate these programs, which creates a predictable exploitation vector. When the PATH variable is modified by a local user, the system will search through the directories in order until it finds the first match for the requested program, potentially executing a malicious version of rm that has been placed in a directory earlier in the PATH. This behavior directly violates the principle of least privilege and creates an implicit trust relationship that can be subverted by attackers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it allows local users to effectively bypass the security controls that normally prevent unauthorized access to system resources. Once an attacker successfully manipulates the PATH environment variable to point to a malicious rm program, they can execute arbitrary code with the elevated privileges of the rs.F300 process. This creates a persistent backdoor that can be used to modify system files, install malware, or establish further footholds within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it does not require any special privileges to exploit, making it accessible to any user who has access to the system.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-426, which describes the "Untrusted Search Path" weakness, and demonstrates how improper environment variable handling can create security holes that allow attackers to substitute malicious programs for legitimate ones. The attack pattern follows the methodology outlined in the ATT&CK framework under T1068, which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation," specifically targeting the exploitation of trusted program execution paths. Organizations should implement strict PATH validation and use absolute paths for all system utility calls to prevent this class of vulnerability from being exploited. The recommended mitigations include setting restrictive PATH variables, implementing proper privilege separation, and conducting regular security audits to identify and remediate similar issues in other system components. Additionally, system administrators should ensure that the PATH environment variable does not include directories writable by unprivileged users, as this directly enables the exploitation mechanism described in CVE-2003-1358.