CVE-2005-0719 in Tru64
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in the systems message queue in HP Tru64 Unix 4.0F PK8 through 5.1B-2/PK4 allows local users to cause a denial of service (process crash) for processes such as nfsstat, pfstat, arp, ogated, rarpd, route, sendmail, srconfig, strsetup, trpt, netstat, and xntpd.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0719 represents a critical weakness in the systems message queue implementation within HP Tru64 Unix operating systems version 4.0F PK8 through 5.1B-2/PK4. This flaw resides in the fundamental messaging infrastructure that governs inter-process communication and system monitoring functions. The affected system components operate through a centralized message queue mechanism that handles various network and system management processes, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can impact multiple critical system functions simultaneously. The vulnerability specifically affects processes that rely on the system message queue for communication and status reporting, including essential network monitoring tools like nfsstat, pfstat, and arp utilities, as well as routing daemons such as ogated and rarpd, and system services like sendmail, netstat, and xntpd.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of message queue operations within the kernel space of the operating system. When local users exploit this weakness, they can manipulate the system message queue in such a way that causes target processes to crash or terminate unexpectedly. This occurs through malformed message injections or improper queue management operations that bypass normal validation procedures. The flaw essentially allows attackers to corrupt the message queue state, leading to process termination when these corrupted messages are processed by the affected applications. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic buffer over-read or queue corruption issue that falls under CWE-129, which represents improper validation of the boundaries of a buffer, and more specifically aligns with CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions. The exploitation mechanism leverages the inherent trust relationships within the system's message queue architecture, where legitimate processes are unable to properly handle maliciously crafted queue entries.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-0719 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise system stability and availability. When critical network and system monitoring processes crash, the affected system experiences significant degradation in functionality, as processes like netstat, route, and sendmail become unavailable for their intended purposes. This can lead to complete network service outages, as routing daemons such as ogated and rarpd fail to maintain proper network connectivity information. The denial of service affects not just individual processes but can cascade through the system, as the failure of one process can trigger failures in related system components that depend on the same messaging infrastructure. From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability provides a reliable method for disrupting system operations without requiring elevated privileges, making it particularly dangerous in environments where local access is possible. The impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which describes the use of system shutdown/reboot attacks, and represents a form of process injection that targets system-level messaging components rather than user-space applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require both immediate system patches and operational security improvements. The primary solution involves applying the official HP patches and updates released for the affected Tru64 Unix versions, which typically include modifications to the message queue handling code to properly validate incoming messages and prevent queue corruption. Organizations should also implement monitoring procedures to detect unusual process termination patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit local user access to system resources, reducing the attack surface for potential exploitation. System administrators should regularly review process crash logs and implement intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious message queue activity. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date system patches and demonstrates how seemingly minor kernel-level flaws can have significant operational impacts. Additionally, implementing proper input validation for all system messaging components and establishing robust process monitoring can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing automated systems to track and remediate such vulnerabilities across their entire infrastructure, particularly in legacy systems like Tru64 Unix that may not receive regular security updates.