CVE-2007-6419 in HP-UX
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in rpc.yppasswdd in HP HP-UX B.11.11, B.11.23, and B.11.31 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/01/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6419 resides within the rpc.yppasswdd daemon component of Hewlett-Packard's HP-UX operating systems versions B.11.11, B.11.23, and B.11.31. This daemon serves as part of the NIS (Network Information Service) or YP (Yellow Pages) infrastructure, which provides centralized network authentication and configuration services. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors suggests that multiple attack pathways could potentially exploit the daemon's instability, making it particularly concerning for system administrators who must secure their network infrastructure against various threat vectors.
The technical flaw manifests as a condition where remote attackers can trigger a daemon crash through unspecified means, resulting in a denial of service condition that affects the entire NIS service infrastructure. This daemon is responsible for handling password update requests within the NIS framework, making it a critical component for authentication services. The vulnerability represents a classic denial of service weakness that can be exploited without requiring authentication, as the attack can be launched remotely against the daemon's network interface. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-400, which categorizes unspecified resource management issues that can lead to denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it compromises the integrity of the network authentication infrastructure that many legacy systems depend upon. When the rpc.yppasswdd daemon crashes, it affects not only password update functionality but potentially impacts the broader NIS service availability, which could cascade into authentication failures for numerous networked applications and services. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target systems without requiring physical access or local network presence, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network segmentation is not properly implemented. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks that target services and infrastructure.
System administrators should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant HP-UX security patches, implementing network segmentation to limit exposure of the affected daemon, and monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity targeting the NIS service ports. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches for legacy systems, as older HP-UX versions may not receive continued support for security updates. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify potential exploitation attempts against known vulnerable services. The lack of specific vector information makes this vulnerability particularly challenging to defend against, as traditional network filtering approaches may not adequately protect against all potential attack methods, requiring a more comprehensive security posture that includes regular vulnerability assessments and system hardening procedures.