CVE-2003-1108 in OmniPCX
Summary
by MITRE
The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) implementation in Alcatel OmniPCX Enterprise 5.0 Lx allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via crafted INVITE messages, as demonstrated by the OUSPG PROTOS c07-sip test suite.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-1108 represents a critical security flaw in the Session Initiation Protocol implementation within Alcatel OmniPCX Enterprise 5.0 Lx communication system. This issue affects the core signaling mechanism used for establishing, modifying, and terminating real-time sessions including voice, video, and messaging services. The SIP protocol serves as the foundation for modern unified communications systems, making vulnerabilities in its implementation particularly dangerous as they can compromise entire communication infrastructures. The flaw specifically manifests in how the system processes incoming INVITE messages, which are fundamental to initiating voice and video calls within SIP-based networks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully crafted malicious INVITE messages that trigger buffer overflow conditions or improper input validation within the OmniPCX Enterprise software implementation. When the system receives these malformed packets, it fails to properly sanitize or validate the incoming data, leading to unpredictable behavior that can result in system crashes or potentially allow remote code execution. The vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking and input validation mechanisms that should normally be present in robust SIP implementations. This type of flaw falls under the CWE-121 category of Buffer Overflow, specifically representing a heap-based buffer overflow that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code or cause system instability. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no authentication and can be executed remotely, making it accessible to any attacker with network access to the affected system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple service disruption, as it can result in complete system compromise and denial of service for critical communication services. Organizations relying on the Alcatel OmniPCX Enterprise platform face significant risks including loss of voice communication capabilities, potential data exposure through system compromise, and extended downtime during remediation efforts. The vulnerability affects the foundational communication infrastructure, potentially impacting business continuity and emergency response systems that depend on reliable voice and video services. Network administrators must consider that successful exploitation could provide attackers with persistent access to the communication system, enabling further reconnaissance and lateral movement within the network. The demonstrated exploitation through the OUSPG PROTOS c07-sip test suite indicates that this vulnerability is not theoretical but has been validated in real-world testing scenarios, confirming its practical exploitability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2003-1108 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from Alcatel, as this represents a critical vulnerability requiring urgent attention. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to SIP ports and services, particularly blocking unnecessary external access to the affected systems. The implementation of SIP-specific firewalls and intrusion detection systems can help identify and block malicious INVITE messages before they reach the vulnerable software. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in SIP traffic that might indicate exploitation attempts, including abnormal message sizes or malformed headers. Security teams should also consider implementing rate limiting and connection throttling mechanisms to prevent flood attacks that could exacerbate the denial of service conditions. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with techniques involving privilege escalation and denial of service, requiring both network-level defenses and application-level protections. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other communication systems and ensure comprehensive protection against similar attack vectors.