CVE-2005-0415 in Emdros Database Engine
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple memory leaks in the MQL parser in Emdros before 1.1.22 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via malformed MQL statements.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0415 represents a critical memory management flaw within the MQL parser component of Emdros software versions prior to 1.1.22. This issue manifests as multiple memory leaks that occur when the system processes malformed MQL statements, creating a pathway for remote attackers to exploit the weakness and systematically consume available system memory. The vulnerability exists within the structured query language parsing mechanism that Emdros employs for processing natural language queries, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through standard query processing operations. The affected software operates within the domain of computational linguistics and text analysis, where MQL serves as the primary interface for querying linguistic databases and corpora.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory management practices within the MQL parser's handling of malformed input sequences. When the parser encounters syntactically incorrect or malformed MQL statements, it fails to properly release allocated memory resources, leading to progressive memory consumption over time. This memory leak behavior creates a cumulative effect where each processed malformed statement contributes to the overall memory exhaustion of the target system. The flaw operates at the application level parsing layer, where input validation and resource cleanup mechanisms are insufficient to prevent memory allocation without corresponding deallocation. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-401 as a weakness related to improper management of memory allocation and deallocation, specifically manifesting as memory leaks in parsing components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it can severely degrade system performance and potentially lead to complete system crashes or unresponsiveness. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness by submitting carefully crafted malformed MQL statements that trigger the memory leak conditions, allowing them to consume system resources progressively until the target system becomes unresponsive or crashes entirely. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no authentication or specialized privileges, making it accessible to any remote user who can submit MQL queries to the affected system. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability and reliability of Emdros systems, especially in environments where continuous operation and high availability are critical requirements.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-0415 focus primarily on upgrading to Emdros version 1.1.22 or later, where the memory leak issues have been addressed through improved resource management and input validation mechanisms. Organizations should also implement input sanitization measures and query monitoring to detect and prevent malformed MQL statements from reaching the vulnerable parser. The fix typically involves implementing proper memory cleanup routines and ensuring that all allocated resources are properly deallocated regardless of parsing success or failure conditions. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing resource limits and monitoring mechanisms to detect unusual memory consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service and demonstrates the importance of robust memory management practices in security-critical applications, particularly those handling user-supplied input in parsing contexts.