CVE-2005-4471 in Modular Messaging Message Storage Server
Summary
by MITRE
POP3 service in Avaya Modular Messaging Message Storage Server (MSS) 2.0 SP 4 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via crafted packets.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4471 targets the pop3 service component within Avaya Modular Messaging Message Storage Server version 2.0 Service Pack 4 and earlier releases. This specific weakness resides in the message storage server's handling of incoming pop3 protocol requests, where improper input validation leads to a predictable system behavior that can be exploited by remote attackers. The affected system operates as part of Avaya's modular messaging infrastructure, which provides email and messaging services for enterprise environments, making this vulnerability particularly concerning given the critical nature of messaging systems in business operations.
The technical flaw manifests when the pop3 service processes malformed or specially crafted packets sent over the network. These packets are designed to exploit a weakness in the protocol handling logic that causes the service to enter an infinite loop during packet processing. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of incoming data structures and lacks proper boundary checking mechanisms that would normally detect and reject malformed input. When the service encounters these crafted packets, it fails to properly terminate processing and instead continues iterating through a loop that never reaches a valid exit condition, effectively consuming system resources and rendering the service unavailable to legitimate users.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant denial of service condition that can severely impact business continuity for organizations relying on Avaya's messaging infrastructure. The infinite loop behavior causes the pop3 service to become unresponsive, preventing legitimate email access for users while potentially consuming excessive cpu and memory resources. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this weakness from anywhere on the network without requiring physical access or local credentials, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where network security controls may not adequately protect internal messaging services. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as the sustained resource consumption can affect overall system performance and potentially trigger cascading failures in related services.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions that can lead to unpredictable behavior in program execution, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches or service packs that address this specific weakness in the pop3 service implementation. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of the messaging server to untrusted networks while monitoring for suspicious traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and boundary checking mechanisms within the messaging service can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from manifesting in other components of the system. The incident highlights the importance of regular security updates and proper protocol handling in enterprise messaging systems to prevent exploitation of fundamental flaws that can lead to complete service outages.