CVE-2009-2678 in Nonstop Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Open System Services (OSS) Name Server on HP NonStop G06.27, G06.28, G06.29, G06.30, H06.06, H06.07, H06.08, and J06.03 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-2678 represents a critical information disclosure issue within the Open System Services Name Server component of HP NonStop operating systems. This flaw exists in specific versions including G06.27, G06.28, G06.29, G06.30, H06.06, H06.07, H06.08, and J06.03, indicating a widespread issue affecting multiple release branches of the NonStop operating system. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to access sensitive information through unspecified attack vectors, creating a significant security risk for systems running these particular versions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the category of information disclosure, where an attacker can potentially extract confidential data without proper authorization. While the exact attack vectors remain unspecified in the initial description, such information disclosure vulnerabilities typically arise from improper access controls, insecure data handling mechanisms, or flawed authentication processes within network services. The Open System Services Name Server component serves as a critical infrastructure element for name resolution and service discovery within the NonStop environment, making it a prime target for adversaries seeking to gather intelligence about the system's configuration and operational parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as the sensitive information obtained could potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. Attackers might leverage the disclosed information to map network topology, identify system configurations, or discover other potential entry points within the environment. This vulnerability directly violates fundamental security principles of confidentiality and can lead to cascading security issues if the disclosed information includes credentials, system architecture details, or other sensitive operational data. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this flaw from external network positions without requiring physical access or local system compromise.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure," and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this under T1082 for System Information Discovery, where adversaries gather information about the target system to inform subsequent attack phases. Organizations running affected NonStop systems face significant risk of reconnaissance-based attacks, where the disclosed information could be used to craft more targeted exploitation attempts against other system components. The lack of specific attack vector details in the CVE description suggests that this vulnerability may have multiple exploitation paths, potentially including protocol-level weaknesses or improper input validation within the name server implementation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to the latest available security updates from HP. Organizations must conduct comprehensive inventory assessments to identify all systems running the vulnerable OSS Name Server versions and implement network segmentation to limit exposure. Access controls should be strengthened around the affected services, and monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar issues within the broader system landscape, as this vulnerability demonstrates the potential for information disclosure in critical infrastructure components.