CVE-2005-1175 in Kerberos
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in the Key Distribution Center (KDC) in MIT Kerberos 5 (krb5) 1.4.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (apllication crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a certain valid TCP or UDP request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1175 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow within the Key Distribution Center component of MIT Kerberos 5 version 1.4.1 and earlier releases. This flaw exists in the core authentication service that manages cryptographic keys and ticket granting processes for distributed network authentication systems. The vulnerability specifically affects the KDC service which is responsible for issuing Kerberos tickets and managing authentication credentials across networked environments. The issue manifests when the KDC processes certain TCP or UDP requests that contain malformed data structures, creating conditions where memory allocation occurs without proper bounds checking.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the Kerberos protocol processing logic. When the KDC receives a valid but malformed request, it attempts to allocate heap memory to store request data without sufficient boundary checks on the incoming packet size or structure. This memory corruption occurs in the heap allocation routines where the system fails to verify that the requested buffer size does not exceed predefined limits. The flaw operates at the application layer of network protocols and exploits the fundamental assumption that valid Kerberos requests will not exceed predetermined data size thresholds. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121 heap-based buffer overflow classification, which specifically addresses buffer overflows occurring in heap memory regions rather than stack-based allocations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable remote code execution on affected systems. When exploited, the buffer overflow can cause the KDC service to crash and terminate unexpectedly, resulting in complete disruption of authentication services for entire network domains. Organizations relying on Kerberos for single sign-on capabilities, secure network access, and cross-domain authentication would experience significant operational downtime. The vulnerability affects systems where Kerberos is deployed as a primary authentication mechanism, including enterprise networks, cloud environments, and distributed computing platforms that depend on Kerberos for secure communication. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to network resources, escalate privileges, or disrupt critical infrastructure services that depend on Kerberos authentication.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-1175 involve immediate patching of affected Kerberos implementations to versions that include proper input validation and bounds checking mechanisms. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of KDC services to untrusted networks. Monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns and implementing intrusion detection systems can help identify exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers legitimate credentials and valid accounts, as exploitation of this flaw could potentially lead to unauthorized access to authentication services. System administrators should also consider implementing redundant authentication mechanisms and backup KDC services to maintain availability during patching operations. Regular security assessments of authentication infrastructure and network protocol implementations should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the Kerberos ecosystem. The fix typically involves implementing proper memory management practices including bounds checking, input validation, and secure coding standards to prevent similar heap corruption issues in future implementations.