CVE-2007-0931 in Mobility Controller
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in the management interfaces in (1) Aruba Mobility Controllers 200, 800, 2400, and 6000 and (2) Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Wireless 43xx and 6000 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (process crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via long credential strings.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0931 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow affecting management interfaces of wireless networking equipment from Aruba and Alcatel-Lucent. This flaw exists within the authentication handling mechanisms of Mobility Controllers 200, 800, 2400, and 6000 series devices, as well as Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Wireless 43xx and 6000 series equipment. The vulnerability specifically impacts the processing of credential strings within the management interface components, creating a pathway for remote exploitation that can result in system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the credential processing routines of these wireless access controllers. When the management interface receives authentication credentials that exceed predetermined buffer sizes, the system fails to properly handle the overflow condition, leading to memory corruption on the heap. This heap-based buffer overflow occurs because the software does not perform sufficient bounds checking on user-supplied credential data, allowing attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations with malicious data. The flaw falls under the CWE-121 heap-based buffer overflow category, which is classified as a serious memory safety issue that can lead to arbitrary code execution or system crashes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, encompassing both availability and confidentiality risks. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to cause denial of service conditions by crashing the management processes of affected devices, effectively rendering the wireless access points or controllers inaccessible to legitimate administrators. Beyond simple service disruption, the buffer overflow condition creates opportunities for arbitrary code execution, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to the device's management interface and execute malicious commands with the privileges of the affected service. This represents a significant threat to wireless network infrastructure security and can compromise entire wireless domains if exploited successfully.
The exploitation of CVE-2007-0931 aligns with several tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to privilege escalation and defense evasion. Attackers can use this vulnerability to establish persistent access to wireless network infrastructure, potentially enabling them to monitor network traffic, redirect connections, or launch further attacks against connected systems. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access to the devices, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise wireless networks. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation strategies to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities and deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention from network administrators and security teams. The most effective approach involves applying vendor-provided security patches and firmware updates that address the buffer overflow conditions in the management interfaces. Organizations should also implement network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous credential processing patterns and unusual authentication attempts. Access control measures including strong authentication protocols, network access control, and regular security audits should be implemented to reduce the attack surface. Additionally, network segmentation can limit the potential impact if a device is compromised, while regular vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other network components that may be vulnerable to similar buffer overflow conditions.