CVE-2002-2291 in Internet Talker
Summary
by MITRE
Calisto Internet Talker 0.04 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (hang) via a long request, possibly triggering a buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-2291 affects Calisto Internet Talker version 0.04 and earlier, representing a significant security flaw in network communication software that has persisted for over two decades. This issue demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and buffer management in network services, particularly those handling external requests from untrusted sources. The vulnerability resides in how the application processes incoming network requests, specifically when encountering unusually long input sequences that exceed the allocated buffer space within the software's memory management architecture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking within the application's request handling mechanism. When a remote attacker sends a malformed request containing an excessive amount of data, the software fails to properly validate the input length before attempting to process or store the information in memory. This deficiency creates a condition where the application's internal buffers become overwhelmed, leading to either a complete system hang or potentially triggering a buffer overflow condition. The buffer overflow aspect represents a particularly dangerous scenario as it could potentially allow for more sophisticated attacks including code execution, though the primary manifestation described in this CVE is the denial of service condition.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to organizations relying on Calisto Internet Talker for network communications, as it can be exploited by any remote attacker without requiring authentication or specialized privileges. The denial of service impact means that legitimate users would be unable to access the service while the application remains unresponsive, potentially disrupting business operations and communication channels. The vulnerability's exploitability is particularly concerning because it requires minimal technical expertise to execute, making it a preferred target for malicious actors seeking to disrupt services. The attack vector is straightforward, utilizing standard network protocols to send oversized requests that cause the application to become unresponsive.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a classic example of improper input validation and memory management issues that align with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-121, which addresses buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-770, which covers excessive allocation of resources. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1498, which involves denial of service attacks, and T1059, which encompasses command and control communications that could be leveraged in more advanced exploitation scenarios. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of the software, implementing network-level restrictions to limit request sizes, and deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the critical need for robust software security practices throughout the development lifecycle, emphasizing the importance of input validation, memory safety, and proper error handling in network services. Given the age of this vulnerability and the software it affects, organizations should consider migrating away from legacy systems that may not receive security updates, while also implementing network segmentation and monitoring to reduce the attack surface and detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder that even seemingly simple network applications can contain critical flaws that expose entire systems to remote compromise and service disruption.