CVE-2004-2312 in AIX
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in GNU make for IBM AIX 4.3.3, when installed setgid, allows local users to gain privileges via a long CC argument.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/05/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-2312 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within GNU make software specifically affecting IBM AIX 4.3.3 systems. This issue manifests when GNU make is installed with setgid permissions, creating a dangerous privilege escalation vector for local attackers who can manipulate the CC argument during compilation processes. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the make utility's argument processing mechanism, where a buffer overflow occurs when handling excessively long command line arguments.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on the setgid bit functionality that allows the make utility to execute with elevated privileges of the group owner rather than the user executing it. When a local user provides a specially crafted long CC argument, the buffer overflow corrupts adjacent memory locations, potentially allowing attackers to overwrite critical program execution structures including return addresses. This memory corruption can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the elevated privileges of the setgid make process, effectively granting the attacker group-level access to system resources and potentially full administrative control.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it represents a fundamental flaw in how the system handles trusted software components. Attackers can exploit this condition to gain unauthorized access to system resources, modify critical files, or establish persistent backdoors within the AIX environment. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where AIX systems may be running with setgid make utilities to facilitate development processes, making the attack surface more accessible to local users who may not have direct administrative access but can leverage this privilege escalation mechanism.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite memory locations, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers privilege escalation through exploitation of system vulnerabilities. The attack vector specifically involves local privilege escalation through the manipulation of setgid applications, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where system administrators may inadvertently leave setgid utilities in place for development convenience. Organizations should consider implementing strict access controls and regular security audits to identify and remediate such vulnerable setgid configurations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of the GNU make utility to address the buffer overflow condition, removal of unnecessary setgid permissions on make utilities, and implementation of strict input validation policies for command line arguments. System administrators should also consider implementing privilege separation mechanisms and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other system utilities. Additionally, monitoring for unusual command line argument patterns and implementing application whitelisting can help detect potential exploitation attempts before they succeed in escalating privileges.