CVE-2006-0306 in Unicenter Remote Control
Summary
by MITRE
The DM Primer (dmprimer.exe) in the DM Deployment Common Component in Computer Associates (CA) BrightStor Mobile Backup r4.0, BrightStor ARCserve Backup for Laptops & Desktops r11.0, r11.1, r11.1 SP1, Unicenter Remote Control 6.0, 6.0 SP1, CA Desktop Protection Suite r2, CA Server Protection Suite r2, and CA Business Protection Suite r2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption or application hang) via a large network packet, which causes a WSAEMESGSIZE error code that is not handled, leading to a thread exit.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/07/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-0306 represents a classic denial of service flaw affecting multiple CA BrightStor and Unicenter products. This issue manifests in the DM Primer component, which is part of the DM Deployment Common Component framework used across various CA security and backup solutions. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions including BrightStor Mobile Backup r4.0, ARCserve Backup for Laptops & Desktops r11.0, r11.1, r11.1 SP1, Unicenter Remote Control 6.0, 6.0 SP1, and several CA protection suites. The flaw occurs when the system receives malformed network packets that exceed the expected message size limits, creating a condition that the application cannot properly handle.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper error handling within the network packet processing routines. When a remote attacker sends a network packet that exceeds the maximum message size allowed by the Windows Sockets API, the system generates a WSAEMESGSIZE error code. This specific error code indicates that the message is too large for the buffer, but the DM Primer component fails to properly process this error condition. The application does not implement adequate exception handling for this particular error scenario, causing the affected thread to exit abruptly rather than gracefully managing the oversized packet and continuing normal operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it can lead to complete service disruption across affected systems. When the thread exits due to unhandled WSAEMESGSIZE errors, the DM Primer service may become unavailable, resulting in CPU consumption spikes or complete application hangs that prevent legitimate users from accessing backup or remote control functionality. This denial of service condition can be easily exploited by remote attackers who need only send a single oversized packet to potentially disrupt critical backup operations or remote management capabilities. The vulnerability affects systems that rely on these CA products for enterprise backup and security management, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where continuous availability is essential.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses unchecked error conditions in software systems. The flaw demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where error codes are not properly validated and handled, creating a pathway for attackers to exploit resource exhaustion or service interruption. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a denial of service attack technique, specifically targeting system availability through resource consumption or process termination. Organizations should implement network segmentation and packet filtering to prevent unauthorized access to affected services, while also applying the vendor-provided patches that address the improper error handling in the DM Primer component. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of robust error handling in network services and proper validation of input parameters to prevent attackers from exploiting seemingly minor implementation flaws to cause significant operational disruptions.