CVE-2004-1112 in Security Agent
Summary
by MITRE
The buffer overflow trigger in Cisco Security Agent (CSA) before 4.0.3 build 728 waits five minutes for a user response before terminating the process, which could allow remote attackers to bypass the buffer overflow protection by sending additional buffer overflow attacks within the five minute timeout period.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1112 represents a critical buffer overflow weakness within Cisco Security Agent version 4.0.3 build 728 and earlier, demonstrating a significant flaw in the software's defensive mechanisms. This vulnerability specifically affects the Cisco Security Agent, a security solution designed to protect network infrastructure from various cyber threats. The flaw manifests in the agent's handling of buffer overflow conditions, creating a window of opportunity for attackers to exploit the system's protective measures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a deliberate design flaw where the Cisco Security Agent exhibits a five-minute delay before terminating processes that encounter buffer overflow conditions. This timeout mechanism, intended as a protective feature, paradoxically becomes a security weakness that attackers can manipulate. The buffer overflow trigger operates by sending malicious input that exceeds the allocated buffer space, causing the program to overwrite adjacent memory locations. However, the five-minute grace period allows attackers to repeatedly attempt buffer overflow attacks without immediate process termination, effectively bypassing the intended protection mechanisms.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a substantial risk for organizations relying on Cisco Security Agent for network protection. The five-minute window provides attackers with sufficient time to conduct multiple exploitation attempts, increasing the probability of successful compromise. This characteristic transforms what might otherwise be a single-point failure into a prolonged attack surface that can be leveraged for persistent threats. The vulnerability essentially undermines the fundamental security principle of immediate termination of suspicious processes, allowing malicious actors to establish footholds within protected environments.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond immediate exploitation capabilities to encompass broader security implications for network infrastructure. Attackers can utilize this weakness to execute arbitrary code, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and demonstrates how improper handling of memory boundaries can create persistent security risks. Organizations may experience unauthorized access, data breaches, and potential system compromise, particularly in environments where the Cisco Security Agent serves as a primary security control.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of software updates and patches provided by Cisco to address the specific buffer overflow handling mechanism. Organizations should implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The security community should consider this vulnerability as a prime example of how defensive timeouts can be manipulated by attackers, reinforcing the importance of robust input validation and memory management practices. Additionally, implementing intrusion detection systems and regular security assessments can help identify and respond to exploitation attempts before they can cause significant damage.
This vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper error handling and process termination mechanisms in security software, as defined by industry standards and best practices. The five-minute delay represents a design flaw that contradicts fundamental security principles, as outlined in various security frameworks and attack methodologies documented in frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK. Organizations must ensure that security tools do not inadvertently create exploitable conditions through overly permissive timeout mechanisms, as demonstrated by this vulnerability's ability to transform protective measures into attack vectors.