CVE-2006-5271 in ePolicy Orchestrator
Summary
by MITRE
Integer underflow in McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator 3.5 through 3.6.1, ProtectionPilot 1.1.1 and 1.5, and Common Management Agent (CMA) 3.6.0.453 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted UDP packet, which causes stack corruption.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-5271 represents a critical integer underflow condition affecting multiple McAfee security products including ePolicy Orchestrator versions 3.5 through 3.6.1, ProtectionPilot versions 1.1.1 and 1.5, and Common Management Agent versions 3.6.0.453 and earlier. This flaw exists within the network packet processing mechanisms of these security solutions, creating a pathway for remote code execution through carefully crafted UDP packets. The integer underflow occurs when the software fails to properly validate or handle numeric values during packet parsing, specifically in the context of stack memory management where the underflow results in corrupted stack frames that can be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the UDP packet handling routines of the affected McAfee products. When processing incoming UDP packets, the software performs arithmetic operations that can result in integer underflow conditions, where a calculation produces a value that falls below the minimum representable value for the data type. This condition leads to unpredictable behavior in memory allocation and stack pointer manipulation, ultimately causing stack corruption that can be leveraged to overwrite critical memory locations. The flaw aligns with CWE-191, which specifically addresses integer underflow conditions, and demonstrates how improper integer handling can lead to memory corruption vulnerabilities that are particularly dangerous in security software contexts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple exploitation as it affects core security infrastructure components that are fundamental to enterprise security management. Attackers can remotely execute arbitrary code on systems running vulnerable versions of McAfee software, potentially gaining full control over security management servers and endpoints. This represents a severe privilege escalation scenario where an attacker with network access can compromise the very tools designed to protect enterprise networks. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access or local credentials to leverage the flaw, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments. The affected products typically run as critical services on enterprise systems, making successful exploitation capable of disrupting security operations and potentially enabling broader network compromise.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including patching to the latest available versions of McAfee products, as vendors released updates specifically addressing this integer underflow condition. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of vulnerable systems to untrusted networks, while monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous UDP traffic patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and integer handling in security software, as these components must be resilient against malformed inputs that could be used to compromise system integrity. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving remote code execution and privilege escalation, emphasizing the critical nature of maintaining secure software development practices and regular vulnerability assessments. Organizations should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and ensure that all security infrastructure components are kept current with security patches to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future.