CVE-2006-2829 in Runtime Agent
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Hawk Monitoring Agent (HMA) for TIBCO Hawk before 4.6.1 and TIBCO Runtime Agent (TRA) before 5.4 allows authenticated users to execute arbitrary code via the configuration for tibhawkhma.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/24/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-2829 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw affecting TIBCO Hawk Monitoring Agent and TIBCO Runtime Agent software versions prior to 4.6.1 and 5.4 respectively. This security weakness resides within the configuration handling mechanism designated as tibhawkhma which processes user inputs without proper bounds checking, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by authenticated attackers to gain arbitrary code execution privileges. The flaw specifically manifests when the monitoring agents process configuration data that exceeds predetermined buffer limits, allowing attackers to overwrite adjacent memory regions and potentially manipulate program execution flow.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking permits attackers to overwrite memory locations and execute malicious code. The affected TIBCO components operate with elevated privileges during configuration processing, making the attack surface particularly dangerous as authenticated users can exploit this weakness to compromise the integrity of the monitoring infrastructure. Attackers can craft specially formatted configuration parameters that trigger the buffer overflow, potentially leading to remote code execution within the context of the monitoring agent processes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it enables attackers to establish persistent access within monitored environments where TIBCO agents are deployed. This represents a significant concern for enterprise monitoring systems since these agents typically run with administrative privileges and monitor critical business processes. The vulnerability affects organizations relying on TIBCO's monitoring solutions for infrastructure oversight, potentially allowing attackers to disrupt business operations, exfiltrate sensitive data, or establish backdoor access points within the enterprise network. The authenticated nature of the exploit means that attackers must first gain legitimate credentials, but this requirement does not significantly mitigate the risk given that monitoring agents often operate with broad system access permissions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-2829 primarily focus on immediate patching of affected TIBCO software versions to the recommended secure releases. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to monitoring agent configurations and establish strict access controls for authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation in security-critical applications and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation would enable attackers to execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. Security teams should also implement monitoring for anomalous configuration changes and establish regular vulnerability assessments targeting legacy monitoring infrastructure components. Additionally, the incident highlights the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security patches for enterprise monitoring solutions, as the vulnerability existed in widely deployed software versions that were not properly secured against buffer overflow attacks.