CVE-2011-2398 in HP-UX
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the dynamic loader in HP HP-UX B.11.11, B.11.23, and B.11.31 allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2398 resides within the dynamic loader component of Hewlett-Packard's HP-UX operating systems versions B.11.11, B.11.23, and B.11.31. This represents a critical security flaw that affects the fundamental system loader mechanism responsible for dynamically loading shared libraries and executable code at runtime. The dynamic loader serves as a crucial interface between the operating system kernel and user applications, making it a prime target for privilege escalation attacks. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors indicates that multiple attack paths may exist, potentially encompassing memory corruption issues, improper access controls, or buffer overflow conditions within the loader's implementation. Given that this affects the core operating system loader functionality, any successful exploitation could result in significant system compromise.
The technical flaw manifests in how the dynamic loader processes and handles shared library loading operations on affected HP-UX systems. While the exact implementation details remain unspecified, such vulnerabilities typically stem from insufficient input validation, improper memory management, or inadequate privilege checking mechanisms within the loader's code execution path. The dynamic loader's role in resolving symbol dependencies and loading required libraries makes it susceptible to manipulation through crafted shared objects or library paths that could trigger unexpected behavior. This vulnerability operates at a low system level where privilege separation mechanisms may be bypassed, potentially allowing local attackers to execute code with elevated privileges or disrupt system operations through denial of service conditions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to HP-UX systems running the affected versions, particularly in enterprise environments where system stability and security are paramount. Local privilege escalation capabilities could enable attackers with basic user access to gain root privileges, potentially compromising entire system infrastructures. The impact extends beyond individual system compromise to include potential cascading effects across networked environments where multiple HP-UX systems may be interconnected. Organizations utilizing these older HP-UX versions face significant exposure, as the vulnerability affects systems that may have been deployed in mission-critical applications including financial services, telecommunications, and industrial control systems. The denial of service aspect could be exploited to disrupt critical business operations, particularly in environments where system uptime is essential for maintaining service availability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-2398 should prioritize immediate system updates and patches provided by HP to address the underlying dynamic loader vulnerability. Organizations must conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify systems running the affected HP-UX versions and prioritize remediation efforts accordingly. System administrators should implement additional access controls and monitoring measures to detect potential exploitation attempts, including monitoring for unusual library loading patterns or privilege escalation activities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-119 which addresses weak buffer access protections, and may relate to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and defense evasion. Network segmentation and least-privilege access controls should be enforced to limit potential attack surface, while regular security audits should be conducted to verify system integrity and patch compliance. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems capable of identifying anomalous dynamic loader behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts.