CVE-2012-0918 in COBOL2002 Net Developer
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Hitachi COBOL2002 Net Developer, Net Server Suite, and Net Client Suite 01-00, 01-01 through 01-01-/D, 01-02 through 01-02-/F, 01-03 through 01-03-/F, 02-00 through 02-00-/D, 02-01 through 02-01-/C, and possibly other versions before 02-01-/D allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unknown attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2018
This vulnerability affects Hitachi COBOL2002 Net Developer, Net Server Suite, and Net Client Suite products across multiple version ranges including 01-00, 01-01 through 01-01-/D, 01-02 through 01-02-/F, 01-03 through 01-03-/F, 02-00 through 02-00-/D, 02-01 through 02-01-/C, and potentially other versions before 02-01-/D. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability mechanism makes it particularly concerning as it could encompass various attack surfaces within the software ecosystem. This type of vulnerability classification typically indicates a critical security flaw that could be exploited by remote attackers without requiring authentication or specific user interaction, representing a significant risk to organizations relying on these legacy COBOL development and deployment tools.
The vulnerability's potential for remote code execution represents a severe security risk that aligns with common attack patterns documented in the attack mitigation framework. According to CWE classification systems, this vulnerability could be categorized under CWE-119 Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer or CWE-74 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component, depending on the specific implementation flaw. The attack vectors remain unspecified, which suggests the vulnerability could potentially exist in network services, web interfaces, or communication protocols within the Hitachi COBOL suite, making it difficult for security professionals to implement targeted defensive measures without detailed technical analysis.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple exploitation scenarios as it affects critical business applications that may be running legacy COBOL systems in production environments. Organizations utilizing these tools for enterprise application development and deployment face significant risk of unauthorized access, data compromise, and potential system takeover. The vulnerability's presence in development and server suites indicates that attackers could potentially compromise not only the development environment but also the production systems that these tools help create and maintain. This represents a particularly dangerous scenario for organizations with limited security resources or those operating in regulated environments where compliance requirements demand robust security controls.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation efforts by upgrading to versions 02-01-/D or later, which likely contain patches addressing the unspecified vulnerability. Security teams should conduct comprehensive network assessments to identify systems running affected versions and implement network segmentation to limit exposure. The vulnerability's remote execution capability necessitates immediate attention as attackers could potentially exploit it without requiring physical access to systems, making traditional perimeter-based security measures insufficient. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, while reviewing access controls and privilege management to minimize potential damage from successful attacks. According to NIST guidelines for vulnerability management, this vulnerability should be treated with high priority given its potential for remote code execution and the unspecified nature of the attack vectors.