CVE-2000-1157 in Sniffer Agent
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in NAI Sniffer Agent allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a long SNMP community name.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-1157 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Network Associates Inc. Sniffer Agent software, which operates as a network monitoring and analysis tool. This specific weakness manifests in the handling of SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) community strings, where the application fails to properly validate input length before processing. The flaw exists in the agent's SNMP community name parsing functionality, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to gain unauthorized system access. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows execution of arbitrary code on the affected system, potentially leading to complete system compromise and unauthorized network access.
Technical exploitation of this buffer overflow vulnerability occurs when an attacker sends a specially crafted SNMP packet containing an excessively long community name string to the Sniffer Agent service. The agent's insufficient input validation causes the buffer to overflow, potentially overwriting adjacent memory locations including return addresses and control data. This memory corruption can be manipulated to redirect program execution flow and inject malicious code, enabling attackers to execute commands with the privileges of the Sniffer Agent process. The vulnerability is classified as a classic stack-based buffer overflow with direct control flow hijacking potential, which aligns with CWE-121 and CWE-122 categories related to buffer overflow conditions and improper input validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access to monitored networks and potentially escalate privileges to system-level access. Network administrators using Sniffer Agent for network monitoring and security analysis face significant risk, as the vulnerability allows attackers to compromise the very tools designed to protect network infrastructure. The attack vector requires no authentication for exploitation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where SNMP services are exposed to untrusted networks. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and script execution, T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, and T1105 for remote file execution, demonstrating the comprehensive nature of the threat landscape.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2000-1157 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Sniffer Agent versions, with network segmentation to limit exposure of SNMP services to trusted networks only. Implementing SNMP community string length restrictions and employing input validation controls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Organizations should also consider disabling SNMP services entirely if not required for network management operations, and implementing network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous SNMP traffic patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in network services and highlights how buffer overflow conditions can be exploited to achieve complete system compromise. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of all network monitoring tools and ensure regular patch management processes are in place to address similar vulnerabilities in legacy systems.