Executive brief
A vulnerability in the HP-UX operating system allows any local user to modify critical networking settings. This could be used by a malicious user to disrupt network connectivity or cause a system-wide denial of service. The issue stems from a configuration utility being granted excessive administrative privileges by default.
Technical details
The /usr/contrib/bin/nettune utility is incorrectly installed with the setuid root bit enabled. This allows unprivileged local users to execute the program with root-level authority to modify sensitive kernel networking parameters, including ICMP, IP, and TCP configurations (such as ip_forwarding, tcp_receive, and arp_killcomplete). An attacker can exploit this to misconfigure the network stack, leading to a denial of service. The vulnerability is resolved by removing the setuid bit from the nettune executable.
Affected products
- HP HP-UX 10.00, 10.01
Timeline
- 1996-06-07: disclosed: Initial public disclosure on Bugtraq
- 1996-06-07: advisory: NVD publication date