CVE-2007-2602 in switch
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in MIBEXTRA.EXE in Ipswitch WhatsUp Gold 11 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or execute arbitrary code via a long MIB filename argument. NOTE: If there is not a common scenario under which MIBEXTRA.EXE is called with attacker-controlled command line arguments, then perhaps this issue should not be included in CVE.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/27/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-2602 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the MIBEXTRA.EXE component of Ipswitch WhatsUp Gold 11, a network monitoring and management tool widely used in enterprise environments. This vulnerability specifically targets the handling of MIB (Management Information Base) filename arguments, creating a potential attack vector that could result in either application crash or arbitrary code execution. The issue manifests when the application processes a command line argument containing an excessively long MIB filename, which exceeds the allocated buffer space and causes memory corruption. The buffer overflow vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as successful exploitation could enable remote code execution within the context of the application's privileges.
The operational implications of this vulnerability are particularly concerning for network administrators who rely on WhatsUp Gold for critical infrastructure monitoring. When MIBEXTRA.EXE is invoked with attacker-controlled command line arguments, the buffer overflow can lead to unpredictable application behavior including crashes, system instability, and potential complete service disruption. The vulnerability's exploitation requires that the target application be executed with attacker-controlled input, which typically occurs when the application is launched with user-supplied command line parameters. This scenario is particularly relevant in network monitoring contexts where MIB files are frequently processed and managed. From an attacker's perspective, this represents a medium to high-severity threat that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves the exploitation of software vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to systems. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly benign configuration management tasks can become attack vectors when proper input validation is absent.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow involves the application's failure to properly validate the length of the MIB filename argument before copying it into a fixed-size buffer. When an attacker provides a sufficiently long filename, the excess data overflows into adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting critical program state information including return addresses and function pointers. This memory corruption can result in either a controlled application crash or, in more sophisticated exploitation attempts, the execution of arbitrary code by redirecting program control flow. The vulnerability's exploitation is facilitated by the fact that the application does not perform adequate bounds checking on input parameters, a common weakness identified in CWE-120, which specifically addresses generic buffer overflow conditions. Network monitoring tools like WhatsUp Gold often operate with elevated privileges, making successful exploitation particularly dangerous as it could provide attackers with access to sensitive network information or even system-level control. The vulnerability's presence in a widely deployed enterprise monitoring tool increases its potential impact significantly, as administrators may not always have the ability to immediately patch or isolate affected systems. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential attack surface, while also ensuring timely application updates and patches to address this and similar buffer overflow vulnerabilities.