CVE-2006-4185 in eDirectory
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the NCPENGINE in Novell eDirectory 8.7.3.8 allows local users to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via unspecified vectors, as originally demonstrated using a Nessus scan.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/13/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-4185 represents a critical weakness within the Novell eDirectory 8.7.3.8 network infrastructure software, specifically within its NCPENGINE component. This issue manifests as a local privilege escalation vulnerability that enables attackers with local system access to initiate a denial of service condition through excessive cpu consumption. The vulnerability was initially demonstrated through a Nessus security scanning tool, highlighting the potential for automated exploitation of the underlying flaw. The NCPENGINE serves as a core network communication component responsible for handling various network protocols and client connections within the eDirectory framework, making it a strategic target for attackers seeking to disrupt network services.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and resource management within the NCPENGINE module. When processing certain network requests or malformed data packets, the engine fails to properly handle the incoming data structures, leading to infinite loops or excessive computational processing that consumes available cpu cycles. This flaw operates at the system level where local users can leverage their existing access to craft specific inputs that trigger the problematic code paths within the NCPENGINE. The vulnerability lacks specific detailed vectors in the original description, suggesting it may involve multiple attack surfaces or could be a broader class of resource exhaustion issues rather than a single specific flaw.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to enterprise network infrastructure as it allows local attackers to consume system resources and potentially cause complete service disruption. The cpu consumption attack can render the affected system unresponsive to legitimate network requests, effectively creating a denial of service condition that impacts all services relying on the eDirectory infrastructure. Organizations using Novell eDirectory 8.7.3.8 may experience cascading failures as network services become unavailable, affecting authentication, directory lookups, and other critical directory services that form the backbone of enterprise network operations. The local nature of the attack means that any user with access to the system can potentially exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in environments with shared or compromised system accounts.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, where it aligns with techniques involving privilege escalation and denial of service operations. The vulnerability maps to CWE-400, which covers unspecified resource exhaustion conditions, and represents a classic example of how improper resource management can lead to system instability. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches, restricting local user access to critical system components, and monitoring for unusual cpu usage patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit the potential impact of local privilege escalation attacks, while regular vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues in other system components. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and resource management in network service implementations, serving as a reminder of the critical need for robust error handling in enterprise infrastructure software.