Executive brief
A vulnerability in the SCO OpenServer and Internet FastStart operating systems could allow a local user to gain full administrative control of the system. By exploiting a flaw in how the system kernel handles errors, an attacker with basic access can bypass security restrictions to reach 'root' status. This would allow them to access any data, modify system files, or disable the server entirely.
Technical details
A vulnerability exists in the kernel error handling routine of SCO OpenServer (5.0.2 and earlier) and SCO Internet FastStart (1.0). The flaw allows a local, authenticated user to trigger a specific error condition that is improperly handled by the kernel, leading to an elevation of privileges to the root level. The attack vector is local, requiring the attacker to already have shell access or the ability to execute code on the target system. Successful exploitation results in a complete compromise of system confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Patch information was originally released in SCO security bulletins (SB.96:01a).
Affected products
- SCO OpenServer 5.0.2 and earlier
- SCO Internet FastStart 1.0
Timeline
- 1996-06-07: advisory: NVD published date
- 1996-06-07: disclosed: Initial disclosure date based on NVD records