CVE-2004-1332 in HP-UX
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in the FTP daemon in HP-UX 11.11i, with the -v (debug) option enabled, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long command request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-1332 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within the FTP daemon of HP-UX 11.11i operating system. This security weakness specifically manifests when the FTP service is running with the verbose debug option enabled, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to gain unauthorized code execution privileges. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and memory management practices within the daemon's command processing mechanism, where user-supplied data is directly copied into a fixed-size stack buffer without proper bounds checking.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the FTP daemon's handling of command requests when the debug flag is active, which creates a scenario where attacker-controlled input can overflow the allocated stack buffer space. This condition allows malicious actors to overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and control registers, effectively enabling them to redirect program execution flow to malicious code payloads. The stack-based nature of the overflow means that the attack vector targets the program's call stack, making it particularly dangerous as it can lead to complete system compromise without requiring local access privileges.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe threat to systems running HP-UX 11.11i with FTP services enabled and debug functionality active. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the FTP daemon process, which typically runs with elevated permissions. The implications extend beyond simple code execution as successful exploitation can result in full system compromise, data theft, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and potential establishment of persistent backdoors. Organizations utilizing affected systems face significant risk of unauthorized access and potential data breaches, particularly in environments where FTP services are exposed to untrusted networks.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which specifically addresses buffer overflows occurring in stack memory regions due to insufficient bounds checking. From an adversary perspective, this flaw maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application and T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers can leverage the vulnerable FTP service to execute malicious commands. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that the vulnerability requires minimal prerequisites, as the debug option is often enabled in development or diagnostic environments, making the system more susceptible to exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of the affected HP-UX systems with the vendor-provided security updates, disabling the debug option in production environments, and implementing network-level restrictions to limit FTP service access to trusted sources only. Organizations should also consider disabling the FTP daemon entirely if it is not required for business operations, as this eliminates the attack surface entirely. Network segmentation and firewall rules can provide additional protection layers, while regular security audits should verify that debug options remain disabled in production environments. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in network services, emphasizing that seemingly benign debugging features can create significant security risks when deployed in production systems.