CVE-2005-1060 in Netware
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in the TCP/IP functionality (TCPIP.NLM) in Novell Netware 6.x allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (ABEND by Page Fault Processor Exception) via certain packets.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/07/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1060 represents a critical flaw within the TCP/IP implementation of Novell Netware 6.x operating systems. This issue specifically affects the TCPIP.NLM module which serves as the core network protocol handler for TCP/IP communications within the Netware environment. The vulnerability manifests as an improper handling of certain network packets that triggers a system-level exception, ultimately leading to a complete system crash known as an ABEND condition. From a cybersecurity perspective, this represents a remote code execution vector that could be exploited by unauthorized actors without requiring authentication or privileged access to the system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the TCPIP.NLM module's packet processing routines. When malformed or specially crafted network packets are received by the vulnerable system, the TCP/IP stack fails to properly validate the packet structure before attempting to process it. This lack of proper validation leads to a page fault exception that the operating system's processor cannot handle gracefully, resulting in an immediate system termination. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-129 as an improper input validation issue, where the system fails to properly validate the boundaries of input data before processing. The specific nature of the fault indicates a buffer overflow or memory corruption condition that occurs during packet header parsing, which is a common pattern in network protocol implementations where insufficient bounds checking is performed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it represents a significant threat to network availability and system stability. Organizations running Novell Netware 6.x systems would face potential business disruption from unauthorized attackers who could exploit this vulnerability to crash servers and network infrastructure. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries could target systems from outside the network perimeter, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations with exposed network services. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004 - Endpoint Denial of Service, where the attack technique involves leveraging system weaknesses to cause service interruption. The vulnerability's potential for widespread impact increases when considering that Netware systems were commonly deployed in enterprise environments where server stability is critical for business operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of network-level protections and system updates. Organizations should implement firewall rules to restrict unnecessary TCP/IP traffic to vulnerable systems and deploy network segmentation to limit exposure. The most effective long-term solution involves applying the official patches provided by Novell to update the TCPIP.NLM module with proper input validation and error handling routines. System administrators should also implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. From a defensive standpoint, this vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date network protocol implementations and demonstrates the critical need for regular security assessments of legacy systems. The vulnerability also underscores the necessity of proper software quality assurance processes including thorough input validation testing and robust error handling mechanisms in network protocol implementations. Organizations should consider migrating away from unsupported legacy systems to more modern platforms that receive regular security updates and have better security track records.