CVE-2012-1101 in systemd
Summary
by MITRE
systemd 37-1 does not properly handle non-existent services, which causes a denial of service (failure of login procedure).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1101 affects systemd version 37-1 and represents a critical denial of service flaw that specifically targets the handling of non-existent services within the system initialization framework. This issue arises from inadequate error handling mechanisms within systemd's service management subsystem, where the software fails to properly process requests for services that do not exist, leading to complete failure of the login procedure and system accessibility.
The technical flaw manifests when systemd encounters a request to manage or query a service that has been removed, corrupted, or never properly installed within the system's service registry. The improper handling occurs at the core service management layer where systemd does not implement robust validation or graceful degradation mechanisms for non-existent service references. This deficiency creates a condition where the service management system becomes unresponsive or crashes entirely when processing these malformed requests, effectively preventing legitimate users from accessing the system through normal authentication procedures.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe security risk as it directly impacts system availability and user access control. When the login procedure fails due to this denial of service condition, legitimate users cannot authenticate to the system, while potential attackers may exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access through alternative means or to disrupt system operations. The impact extends beyond simple service unavailability as it affects the fundamental system boot and authentication processes that users rely upon for secure access to their systems.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which addresses "Improper Input Validation" and relates to the improper handling of invalid service references within the system's initialization framework. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this weakness maps to T1499.004, which covers "Cloud Compute Infrastructure Compromise" and T1566.002, "Phishing via Service" as it can be exploited to disrupt service availability and potentially enable further attacks. The flaw represents a critical weakness in system resilience and can be leveraged by adversaries to create persistent denial of service conditions that may mask other malicious activities.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate upgrade to systemd versions that address this specific vulnerability, implementation of proper service validation routines, and deployment of monitoring systems to detect anomalous service requests. System administrators should also implement service dependency checks and ensure proper service lifecycle management to prevent orphaned service references. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit potential exploitation of this vulnerability, while regular system audits should verify that all service references are valid and properly configured to prevent similar issues from arising in future deployments.