Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This old FreeBSD issue can let a local user influence how privileged programs read or write files if standard input, output, or error are closed before launching them. The business risk is mainly on legacy BSD systems with untrusted local users or shared shell access.
Executive priority
Prioritize if legacy FreeBSD or BSD-derived systems remain in production, especially shared servers. If no such systems exist, urgency is low, but asset inventory should confirm that assumption.
Technical view
CVE-2002-0572 describes file descriptor reuse in FreeBSD 4.5 and earlier, possibly other BSD-derived systems. If descriptors 0, 1, or 2 are closed, a setuid process may unintentionally reuse them for privileged I/O, enabling local read or write access to restricted files.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on FreeBSD 4.5 and earlier systems, especially multi-user hosts running setuid programs. The record says possibly other BSD-based operating systems, but does not confirm specific additional products or versions.
Exploitation context
The issue requires local user access. The provided sources do not state active exploitation, public exploit availability, or remote attack capability. It is primarily relevant to legacy systems and environments where local users are not fully trusted.
Researcher notes
Source data is sparse: no CVSS, CWE, advisory links, or patch details are included. Treat affected scope beyond FreeBSD 4.5 and earlier as unconfirmed unless supported by vendor-specific evidence.
Mitigation direction
- Identify and retire or isolate FreeBSD 4.5 and earlier systems.
- Check FreeBSD or applicable BSD vendor guidance for historical fixes.
- Reduce untrusted local shell access on affected legacy hosts.
- Review necessity and permissions of setuid programs.
Validation and detection
- Inventory BSD hosts and confirm operating system versions.
- Identify systems allowing local interactive or batch user access.
- Review setuid binaries present on potentially affected hosts.
- Check vendor advisories or maintenance records for applied fixes.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2002-0572 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.