CVE-2005-3476 in OpenVMS
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in HP OpenVMS Integrity 8.2-1 and 8.2, and OpenVMS Alpha 7.3-2 and 8.2, allows local users to cause a denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/28/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-3476 represents a significant security flaw within HP OpenVMS operating systems, specifically affecting versions 8.2-1 and 8.2 of OpenVMS Integrity and OpenVMS Alpha versions 7.3-2 and 8.2. This unspecified vulnerability creates a potential avenue for local attackers to execute denial of service attacks against affected systems, undermining the reliability and availability of critical business infrastructure. The flaw exists within the core operating system components that govern system resource management and process handling, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where system uptime is paramount. The vulnerability's classification as local indicates that exploitation requires physical or logical access to the target system, though this access requirement does not diminish its potential impact on organizational operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation or resource management within the OpenVMS kernel or system services. While the specific implementation details remain unspecified, such vulnerabilities typically arise from buffer overflows, improper memory handling, or flawed privilege escalation mechanisms within the operating system's core architecture. The affected versions of OpenVMS Integrity and Alpha systems likely contain code paths that fail to properly validate system calls or handle specific input sequences from local processes, creating opportunities for malicious or accidental system state corruption. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions, or CWE-129, which covers insufficient validation of array indices, though the exact manifestation within HP's proprietary operating system requires careful analysis of the specific kernel modules involved.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-3476 extends beyond simple service disruption, as local users with minimal privileges can potentially cause complete system crashes or unresponsiveness. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on HP OpenVMS for mission-critical applications, where unexpected system downtime can result in significant financial losses and operational disruptions. The attack surface is broad within enterprise environments as local access often requires minimal privileges, making it possible for disgruntled employees or compromised accounts to exploit this weakness. System administrators face the challenge of identifying and mitigating this vulnerability without disrupting legitimate system operations, especially since the unspecified nature of the flaw makes it difficult to predict all potential attack vectors or recovery methods.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-3476 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems through HP's official security updates and service packs. Organizations must conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running the affected OpenVMS versions and implement strict access controls to limit local user privileges. The implementation of monitoring solutions to detect anomalous system behavior or resource consumption patterns can provide early warning of potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, system hardening procedures should include disabling unnecessary services and implementing the principle of least privilege for local accounts. This vulnerability's impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499, which covers network denial of service attacks, though the local nature of exploitation makes this more aligned with privilege escalation and system compromise techniques. Regular security audits and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure continued protection against similar unspecified vulnerabilities that may arise in proprietary operating system implementations.