CVE-2007-0816 in BrightStor ARCserve Backup
Summary
by MITRE
The RPC Server service (catirpc.exe) in CA (formerly Computer Associates) BrightStor ARCserve Backup 11.5 SP2 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (service crash) via a crafted TADDR2UADDR that triggers a null pointer dereference in catirpc.dll, possibly related to null credentials or verifier fields.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0816 resides within the Remote Procedure Call Server service component of CA BrightStor ARCserve Backup version 11.5 SP2 and earlier installations. This service operates through the catirpc.exe executable and utilizes the catirpc.dll library for handling remote procedure calls. The flaw manifests as a null pointer dereference condition that occurs when processing a specially crafted TADDR2UADDR request, which represents a specific type of RPC call used in the Windows operating system's remote procedure call infrastructure. The vulnerability specifically targets the handling of authentication credentials and verifier fields within the RPC communication process, where the service fails to properly validate input parameters before attempting to dereference pointers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves sending a malformed TADDR2UADDR request to the RPC server service, which triggers an unexpected null pointer dereference within the catirpc.dll library. This condition occurs when the service attempts to access memory locations that have not been properly initialized or validated, particularly in scenarios involving null credentials or verifier fields. The null pointer dereference causes the RPC server process to crash and terminate unexpectedly, leading to a denial of service condition that affects the availability of backup services. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-476 category of NULL Pointer Dereference, which represents a common software flaw where a program attempts to access a memory location through a pointer that has not been properly initialized to point to valid memory.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it represents a critical weakness in enterprise backup infrastructure that organizations rely upon for data protection and recovery operations. When the RPC server service crashes due to this vulnerability, it interrupts backup operations and potentially leaves systems in an inconsistent state where backup jobs may fail or become corrupted. The remote nature of the attack means that unauthorized parties can exploit this weakness from outside the network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that expose their backup services to external networks or have inadequate network segmentation in place. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability aspect of the CIA triad and represents a significant concern for business continuity and disaster recovery planning.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates that address this specific null pointer dereference condition in the catirpc.dll library. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit exposure of the RPC server service to only authorized networks and users. The implementation of intrusion detection systems that can monitor for suspicious RPC traffic patterns and anomalous TADDR2UADDR requests can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify other potential weaknesses in the backup infrastructure. From a defensive perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service and represents a classic example of how improper input validation can lead to service disruption. System administrators should also consider implementing process monitoring and automatic service restart mechanisms to minimize the impact of service crashes while patches are deployed, as the vulnerability can be exploited by attackers seeking to disrupt critical backup operations.