CVE-2004-0429 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability related to "the handling of large requests" in RAdmin for Apple Mac OS X 10.3.3 and Mac OS X 10.2.8 may allow attackers to have unknown impact via unknown attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/23/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0429 represents a critical security flaw in RAdmin software specifically affecting Apple Mac OS X versions 10.3.3 and 10.2.8. This issue stems from the application's improper handling of large request payloads, creating a potential attack surface that could be exploited by malicious actors to compromise system integrity. The vulnerability's classification as unknown impact reflects the complexity and potential severity of the underlying flaw, which operates at the protocol level where request processing mechanisms fail to properly validate or limit input sizes. The affected RAdmin implementation demonstrates poor resource management practices that could lead to system instability or unauthorized access.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient bounds checking and memory allocation handling within the RAdmin application's request processing pipeline. When the software receives large data requests exceeding normal operational parameters, the application fails to implement proper input validation mechanisms that would typically prevent buffer overflows or memory exhaustion conditions. This weakness creates a condition where an attacker could craft maliciously sized requests that overwhelm the application's memory management capabilities, potentially leading to denial of service conditions or arbitrary code execution. The flaw operates under CWE-122 which specifically addresses buffer overflow vulnerabilities in memory management, though the exact vector remains unspecified in the original description.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially enable complete system compromise. Attackers could exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to systems running vulnerable RAdmin versions, leveraging the large request handling flaw to execute malicious payloads or establish persistent access. The attack vectors remain unspecified but would likely involve crafting specially formatted network requests that trigger the memory handling failure. Organizations running these affected Mac OS X versions with RAdmin installed face significant risk of unauthorized access, data compromise, or system takeover. The vulnerability's presence in widely used remote administration software amplifies its potential impact across enterprise networks where remote access capabilities are critical for system management.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-0429 require immediate attention through software updates and configuration hardening measures. System administrators should prioritize patching affected RAdmin installations with versions that properly handle large request payloads and implement robust input validation controls. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit exposure of vulnerable systems to untrusted networks. The implementation of intrusion detection systems can help identify suspicious large request patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected software versions and implement monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security controls should align with ATT&CK framework tactics including privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques that attackers might employ when exploiting such memory handling vulnerabilities. Regular security audits and proper system hardening practices should be implemented to prevent similar issues in future software deployments.