CVE-2007-2417 in Authentication Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in _mprosrv.exe in Progress Software Progress 9.1E and OpenEdge 10.1x, as used by the RSA Authentication Manager 6.0 and 6.1, SecurID Appliance 2.0, ACE/Server 5.2, and possibly other products, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted packets. NOTE: this issue might overlap CVE-2007-3491.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-2417 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow flaw discovered in the _mprosrv.exe component of Progress Software Progress 9.1E and OpenEdge 10.1x versions. This vulnerability specifically affects several enterprise security products including RSA Authentication Manager 6.0 and 6.1, SecurID Appliance 2.0, and ACE/Server 5.2, making it a significant concern for organizations relying on these systems for authentication and access control. The flaw exists within the memory management handling of network packets processed by the affected software components, creating a potential entry point for malicious actors to compromise system integrity. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through network-based attacks without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous for networked environments where these products are deployed.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow occurs when the _mprosrv.exe process receives and processes crafted network packets that exceed the allocated heap memory buffer size. This heap-based overflow allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting program execution flow and enabling arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability is classified as a heap overflow under CWE-121, which specifically addresses heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows data to be written beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. The attack vector is remote and network-based, meaning that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability from outside the target network without requiring physical access or prior authentication credentials. The memory corruption can be leveraged to overwrite return addresses, function pointers, or other critical program data structures, providing attackers with the capability to redirect program execution and ultimately execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected service.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it can potentially allow attackers to establish persistent access to compromised systems, escalate privileges, and move laterally within networks. Organizations using affected Progress software components face significant risk of unauthorized access to sensitive authentication data, system compromise, and potential data breaches. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target these systems from anywhere on the internet, making traditional network perimeter defenses insufficient for protection. The overlap with CVE-2007-3491 suggests that this may represent part of a broader class of vulnerabilities affecting the same software components, indicating that multiple attack surfaces within the Progress software suite may be compromised. Security professionals must consider that successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, particularly when these vulnerable components are running with elevated privileges or are integral to authentication infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-2417 should focus on immediate patching of affected systems, network segmentation to isolate vulnerable components, and implementation of intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. Organizations should prioritize patch management to ensure all affected Progress software versions are updated with vendor-provided security fixes. Network-based mitigations include implementing firewall rules to restrict access to vulnerable services, disabling unnecessary network services, and monitoring for suspicious packet patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) indicates that defenders should implement comprehensive monitoring for these attack patterns. Additionally, regular security assessments of authentication infrastructure and network architecture should be conducted to identify other potential vulnerabilities that may exist within the same software ecosystem, as the presence of one vulnerability often indicates potential for additional security weaknesses in similar components.