CVE-2002-1280 in RealSecure Event Collector
Summary
by MITRE
Memory leak in RealSecure Event Collector 6.5 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption and crash).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1280 represents a critical memory management flaw within RealSecure Event Collector version 6.5, a network security monitoring tool developed by RealNetworks. This memory leak vulnerability specifically affects the system's ability to properly handle and release allocated memory resources during normal operational procedures. The flaw manifests when the event collector processes certain types of network events or log data, causing the application to continuously allocate memory without subsequent deallocation, leading to progressive memory exhaustion over time.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management practices within the RealSecure Event Collector's codebase, where allocated memory blocks are not correctly freed after use. This type of flaw falls under the broader category of memory leak vulnerabilities, which are classified as CWE-401 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The vulnerability operates by exploiting the application's event processing loop, where malformed or specially crafted network events trigger the allocation of memory resources that are subsequently not released back to the system's memory pool. As the application continues to process events, the accumulated unreleased memory consumption grows exponentially, eventually consuming all available system memory.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant denial of service condition that can completely incapacitate the RealSecure Event Collector service. The memory leak process typically begins with minimal system impact but gradually escalates until the application either crashes or becomes unresponsive due to memory exhaustion. Network administrators monitoring their security infrastructure through this tool would experience complete service disruption, potentially leaving their networks vulnerable to attacks without proper logging and monitoring capabilities. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be triggered through passive network traffic processing, meaning attackers do not need to actively exploit the system but can simply send specific network events that trigger the memory leak condition.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends beyond simple network monitoring, as it affects security operations centers and network defense infrastructures that rely on continuous monitoring solutions. According to ATT&CK framework categorization, this vulnerability aligns with the T1499.004 technique related to network denial of service, where the memory leak effectively consumes system resources to prevent normal operation. The impact is particularly severe because it affects the foundational security monitoring infrastructure rather than individual applications, creating cascading effects throughout the security ecosystem. Organizations using RealSecure Event Collector 6.5 may experience complete service outages that could last until system restart or manual intervention to clear the memory leak condition.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate software updates and patches provided by RealNetworks to address the memory management flaw. System administrators should implement monitoring solutions to track memory usage patterns and establish automated alerts when memory consumption exceeds normal thresholds, enabling early detection of potential exploitation. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of the vulnerable system to untrusted network traffic. Additionally, organizations should maintain redundant monitoring systems to ensure continuous security operations even if the primary event collector becomes compromised. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper memory management practices in security infrastructure applications and serves as a reminder of the critical need for regular security updates and vulnerability assessments in enterprise security environments.