CVE-2006-2838 in F-Secure
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the web console in F-Secure Anti-Virus for Microsoft Exchange 6.40, and Internet Gatekeeper 6.40 through 6.42 and 6.50 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via unknown attack vectors. NOTE: By default, the connections are only allowed from the local host.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/20/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-2838 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw affecting F-Secure Anti-Virus for Microsoft Exchange versions 6.40 and Internet Gatekeeper versions 6.40 through 6.42 and 6.50. This vulnerability resides within the web console component of these security products, creating a significant risk for systems that rely on these solutions for email protection and network security. The buffer overflow occurs when processing incoming data through the web interface, allowing malicious actors to manipulate memory allocation and potentially execute arbitrary code on affected systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. The flaw specifically impacts the web console functionality that handles remote connections, making it particularly dangerous given the potential for remote exploitation despite the default restriction to local host connections. Attackers could potentially bypass the local host restriction through various means including network tunneling, proxy manipulation, or by exploiting other vulnerabilities that provide remote access to the system. The vulnerability's designation as allowing both denial of service and arbitrary code execution places it in the high-risk category according to standard security frameworks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise entire email infrastructure and network security postures. When exploited successfully, the buffer overflow could cause the affected F-Secure services to crash and restart, leading to denial of service for legitimate email traffic and potentially providing attackers with a foothold for further exploitation. The possibility of arbitrary code execution means that attackers could gain control of the affected systems, potentially leading to complete compromise of email servers and the ability to intercept, modify, or exfiltrate email communications. This vulnerability directly affects organizations relying on Microsoft Exchange environments where email security is paramount, making it a critical concern for enterprise security teams and IT administrators responsible for maintaining email infrastructure integrity.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patch deployment from F-Secure, which would address the buffer overflow through proper input validation and memory management. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the affected web console interfaces, particularly given that the default configuration restricts connections to local host. Additional protective measures include implementing network monitoring to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and conducting thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potential bypass mechanisms that attackers might employ. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1203, which covers exploitation for privilege escalation and T1499, covering network denial of service attacks. Security teams should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems specifically configured to detect buffer overflow exploitation patterns and establish incident response procedures for rapid containment and remediation should exploitation occur.