CVE-2006-3815 in heartbeat
Summary
by MITRE
heartbeat.c in heartbeat before 2.0.6 sets insecure permissions in a shmget call for shared memory, which allows local users to cause an unspecified denial of service via unknown vectors, possibly during a short time window on startup.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-3815 resides within the heartbeat daemon software, specifically in the heartbeat.c component prior to version 2.0.6. This issue manifests as a security flaw in how the software handles shared memory allocation through the shmget system call. The heartbeat daemon is commonly used in high-availability cluster environments to monitor node health and ensure system redundancy. When the daemon initializes, it creates shared memory segments that are intended to facilitate communication between cluster nodes. However, the implementation contains a critical flaw in permission handling that undermines the security model of the system.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from the improper setting of permissions during the shared memory creation process. When heartbeat.c invokes shmget, it fails to establish appropriate access controls for the shared memory segment it creates. This insecure permission setting creates a scenario where local users can potentially manipulate or access the shared memory in ways that were not intended by the system design. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the daemon's initialization phase, creating a brief but exploitable time window where the system is most vulnerable.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation or data access issues. Local users who can execute code on the affected system can leverage this flaw to cause unspecified denial of service conditions. This means that an attacker with local access could potentially disrupt the heartbeat daemon's operation, leading to cluster instability or complete failure of high-availability services. The denial of service impact is particularly severe in mission-critical environments where heartbeat functionality is essential for maintaining system availability and preventing service interruptions. The vulnerability essentially creates a window of opportunity where an attacker can compromise the integrity of the cluster monitoring system.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-732, which describes improper permission assignment, and represents a classic example of insufficient privilege separation in system components. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this issue under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the local privilege escalation category where attackers exploit system-level flaws to gain elevated access. The vulnerability also relates to the broader category of denial of service attacks, which can be classified under ATT&CK's system service interruption tactics. Organizations implementing heartbeat-based clustering solutions should consider this vulnerability as part of their overall security posture assessment, particularly in environments where local access controls are insufficient or where the heartbeat daemon runs with elevated privileges. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to heartbeat version 2.0.6 or later, where the shared memory permission handling has been corrected to prevent unauthorized access and ensure proper isolation of critical system resources.