CVE-2001-1313 in Lotus Domino R5
Summary
by MITRE
Lotus Domino R5 before R5.0.7a allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via miscellaneous packets with semi-valid BER encodings, as demonstrated by the PROTOS LDAPv3 test suite.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/27/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2001-1313 represents a critical security flaw in IBM Lotus Domino R5 software versions prior to R5.0.7a, specifically targeting the application's handling of Ber encoding protocols. This issue manifests through the processing of malformed or semi-valid Basic Encoding Rules (BER) encoded packets that are part of the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol version 3 (LDAPv3) test suite known as PROTOS. The flaw exploits the software's insufficient input validation mechanisms when parsing encoded data structures, creating a pathway for remote attackers to manipulate the application's behavior through crafted network traffic.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the software's failure to properly validate and sanitize BER encoded data structures before processing them within the LDAPv3 protocol implementation. When the Lotus Domino server receives packets containing semi-valid BER encodings, the application's parsing routines encounter unexpected data patterns that trigger memory corruption or execution flow manipulation. This weakness falls under the CWE-129 category of Improper Validation of Array Index, as the system fails to validate the bounds of encoded data structures, and may also relate to CWE-125 Out-of-bounds Read when processing malformed BER elements. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with buffer overflow conditions or memory corruption issues that can lead to unpredictable application behavior.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enabling remote code execution, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments. Attackers can leverage this flaw to crash the Domino server process, causing service interruption that affects email services, web applications, and directory services hosted on the platform. More critically, the vulnerability's potential for arbitrary code execution means that successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to the server, escalate privileges, and potentially compromise the entire network infrastructure relying on the Domino server. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1210 Exploitation of Remote Services, where adversaries exploit weaknesses in network services to gain system access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2001-1313 require immediate implementation of the vendor-provided security patches and updates to Lotus Domino R5.0.7a or later versions, as IBM released specific fixes addressing the BER encoding validation issues. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of Domino servers to untrusted networks, utilizing firewall rules to restrict LDAPv3 traffic where possible. Additionally, deploying intrusion detection systems with signature-based detection capabilities can help identify exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure all Domino installations are properly updated and monitored for similar encoding validation flaws. The remediation process must include thorough testing of patches in development environments before deployment to production systems to avoid unintended service disruptions.