CVE-2002-0541 in Tivoli Storage Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Tivoli Storage Manager TSM (1) Server or Storage Agents 3.1 through 5.1, and (2) the TSM Client Acceptor Service 4.2 and 5.1, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a long HTTP GET request to port 1580 or port 1581.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/23/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0541 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) software ecosystem, affecting multiple versions of both server and client components. This issue manifests in the TSM Server storage agents version 3.1 through 5.1, as well as the TSM Client Acceptor Service versions 4.2 and 5.1, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on IBM's storage management solutions. The vulnerability specifically targets the HTTP handling mechanisms of these components, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited over network connections without requiring authentication.
The technical flaw stems from improper input validation within the HTTP GET request processing functionality of the affected TSM components. When a malicious actor sends a specially crafted HTTP GET request containing an excessive amount of data to either port 1580 or port 1581, the application fails to properly bounds-check the incoming data before copying it into fixed-size buffers. This classic buffer overflow condition occurs because the software does not adequately validate the length of the HTTP request parameters before processing them, allowing an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory locations in the application's memory space. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond the allocated buffer boundaries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it potentially enables remote code execution capabilities. When the buffer overflow occurs, it can cause the affected TSM processes to crash and terminate unexpectedly, resulting in service disruption for storage management operations. However, the more severe implications arise when attackers can leverage the overflow to inject and execute malicious code within the context of the running TSM processes. This capability allows for complete system compromise, as the TSM components typically run with elevated privileges necessary for storage management operations. The vulnerability affects both server and client components, meaning that attackers could potentially compromise either the central storage management server or individual client systems that communicate with it.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations to protect their storage infrastructure. The most effective approach involves applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates that address the buffer overflow conditions in the affected TSM versions. Additionally, network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to the vulnerable ports 1580 and 1581, limiting exposure to untrusted networks. The mitigation strategy should also include monitoring network traffic for suspicious HTTP GET requests that exceed normal parameter lengths, as this could indicate attempted exploitation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques such as T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) and T1499 (Endpoint Termination), as it allows for both remote code execution and service disruption. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on malformed HTTP requests targeting the vulnerable ports, as well as conducting regular vulnerability assessments to ensure all TSM components remain up-to-date with security patches. The long-term solution requires comprehensive application security reviews and input validation improvements in the TSM codebase to prevent similar buffer overflow conditions from occurring in future versions.