CVE-2004-1039 in OpenServer
Summary
by MITRE
The NFS mountd service on SCO UnixWare 7.1.1, 7.1.3, 7.1.4, and 7.0.1, and possibly other versions, when run from inetd, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory exhaustion) via a series of requests, which causes inetd to launch a separate process for each request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-1039 represents a significant denial of service weakness in the Network File System mountd service implementation on SCO UnixWare operating systems. This flaw specifically affects versions 7.1.1, 7.1.3, 7.1.4, and 7.0.1, with potential impacts extending to other related versions within the SCO UnixWare family. The issue manifests when the mountd service operates under the inetd super-server framework, creating a critical operational weakness that can be exploited by remote attackers to disrupt system availability.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the improper handling of incoming requests by the mountd service when executed through inetd. Each individual request triggers inetd to spawn a separate process to handle that specific connection, without adequate rate limiting or resource management controls. This design flaw creates a direct path for attackers to consume system resources through repetitive request patterns, leading to memory exhaustion and subsequent system instability. The vulnerability specifically targets the process creation overhead inherent in the inetd execution model, where each mountd invocation generates a new process instance that remains active until completion.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass broader system reliability concerns. When exploited successfully, the denial of service attack causes memory exhaustion that can affect not only the mountd service itself but potentially other system processes and services that depend on available memory resources. The cascading effect of resource depletion can result in system slowdowns, process termination failures, and overall degradation of system performance. This vulnerability particularly threatens networked environments where NFS services are actively used, as attackers can systematically consume resources without requiring elevated privileges or complex exploitation techniques.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" and represents a classic example of how improper resource management can lead to system compromise. The attack pattern follows typical denial of service methodologies that can be classified under ATT&CK technique T1499, specifically "Toggle System Execution Flag" and related resource exhaustion tactics. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise and can be executed remotely, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where system availability is critical. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of SCO UnixWare, configuring proper resource limits on inetd processes, and monitoring for unusual request patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.
The remediation approach for this vulnerability primarily involves applying vendor patches and updates to the affected SCO UnixWare versions, as well as implementing process-level resource controls to prevent excessive process creation. System administrators should also consider configuring inetd with appropriate timeouts and connection limits to prevent exploitation of this weakness. Additionally, network monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect unusual patterns of mountd requests that could indicate attempted exploitation, providing early warning capabilities for potential attacks targeting this specific vulnerability.