CVE-2008-1601 in AIX
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in the reboot program on IBM AIX 5.2 and 5.3 allows local users in the shutdown group to gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1601 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within the reboot program of IBM AIX operating systems version 5.2 and 5.3. This issue specifically affects local users who possess membership in the shutdown group, creating a privilege escalation vector that could potentially allow attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the reboot utility's argument processing mechanism, where insufficient bounds checking permits malicious input to overwrite adjacent memory locations on the stack.
From a technical perspective, the buffer overflow occurs when the reboot program processes command-line arguments without adequate length verification, enabling an attacker to supply input that exceeds the allocated buffer space. This condition creates a writable stack memory region that can be overwritten with malicious data, potentially allowing an attacker to manipulate the program's execution flow. The flaw is classified as a CWE-121 stack-based buffer overflow, which directly maps to the ATT&CK technique T1068, specifically targeting privilege escalation through local exploitation. The vulnerability's exploitation requires local access and group membership, making it a local privilege escalation vulnerability rather than a remote one.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with a foothold for further system compromise within IBM AIX environments. Once successfully exploited, the vulnerability could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code with root privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The affected systems represent enterprise environments where AIX 5.2 and 5.3 were commonly deployed, particularly in mainframe and large-scale computing environments where system integrity and security are paramount. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access, escalate privileges beyond the shutdown group boundaries, and potentially move laterally within the network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-1601 focus primarily on immediate patching and access control measures. IBM released security patches to address this vulnerability, and system administrators should prioritize applying these updates to all affected AIX systems. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege controls can significantly reduce the attack surface by limiting group membership and access rights for users in the shutdown group. Network segmentation and monitoring controls should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and vulnerability management processes, particularly for legacy systems that may contain unpatched vulnerabilities. Organizations should consider implementing additional security controls such as mandatory access controls and privilege monitoring to detect unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. Security teams should also conduct regular penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other system utilities and applications that might present similar attack vectors.