CVE-2004-1237 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in the system call filtering code in the audit subsystem for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 allows local users to cause a denial of service (system crash) via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1237 resides within the audit subsystem of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3, specifically affecting the system call filtering mechanisms that are critical for monitoring and logging system activities. This issue represents a significant security weakness in the kernel-level auditing infrastructure that was designed to provide comprehensive system activity tracking and forensic capabilities. The audit subsystem serves as a fundamental component for compliance monitoring, security analysis, and incident response operations across enterprise environments.
The technical flaw manifests in the system call filtering code implementation where improper handling of certain input parameters or execution paths leads to kernel-level instability. While the exact vector remains unspecified in the original description, such vulnerabilities typically arise from buffer overflows, integer underflows, or improper validation of system call arguments within the kernel space. The vulnerability specifically impacts the audit subsystem's ability to process certain system calls without proper error handling or bounds checking, creating potential crash conditions that can be exploited by local users with minimal privileges.
Local users can leverage this vulnerability to trigger a denial of service condition that results in complete system crashes, effectively rendering the affected system unavailable to legitimate users and services. This represents a serious operational impact as system administrators lose access to critical infrastructure, potentially leading to service interruptions, data unavailability, and business continuity issues. The vulnerability's local nature means that exploitation does not require network access or elevated privileges, making it particularly dangerous as any user with access to the system can potentially cause system-wide outages.
The operational impact extends beyond simple system crashes to include potential data loss scenarios, as system crashes during critical operations can result in filesystem corruption or unclean shutdown conditions. Organizations relying on audit logs for compliance requirements face additional challenges as the system instability may prevent proper logging of security events, undermining the very purpose of the audit subsystem. This vulnerability directly contradicts the principle of least privilege and system availability that enterprise security frameworks emphasize, as it allows privilege escalation through denial of service rather than direct access to restricted resources.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patch deployment from Red Hat, which would include kernel updates containing corrected system call filtering implementations. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures for handling system crashes. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and bounds checking in kernel space code, aligning with CWE principles that emphasize secure coding practices for system-level components. From an attack surface perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and denial of service, with the potential for more sophisticated attacks if combined with other exploitation vectors. Security teams should conduct comprehensive system audits to identify any similar vulnerabilities in the kernel subsystems and ensure that all audit-related components receive regular security updates and code reviews.