CVE-2007-3665 in Norton Ghost
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in FileBackup.DLL in Symantec Norton Ghost 12.0 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service via unspecified vectors involving the UpdateCatalog and other functions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/28/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3665 affects Symantec Norton Ghost 12.0 through unspecified flaws in the FileBackup.DLL component that enables remote attackers to trigger denial of service conditions. This weakness specifically manifests through the UpdateCatalog function and other related operations within the backup software ecosystem. The vulnerability represents a significant security concern as it allows unauthorized remote exploitation without requiring authentication or elevated privileges, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where backup systems are critical infrastructure components.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of input data within the FileBackup.DLL library, which processes backup catalog information and related file operations. When the UpdateCatalog function receives malformed or specially crafted input parameters, it fails to properly validate or sanitize the data before processing, leading to potential crashes or system instability. This type of vulnerability typically falls under CWE-20, which encompasses improper input validation issues, and may also involve CWE-129, representing insufficient output validation. The lack of proper bounds checking and input sanitization creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate the backup process through carefully constructed data sequences that cause the software to behave unpredictably or terminate unexpectedly.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risk to organizations relying on Symantec Norton Ghost 12.0 for their backup and recovery operations. The remote denial of service capability means that attackers could potentially disrupt critical backup processes without physical access to systems, leading to data recovery failures during emergencies. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption as backup systems are often integral to business continuity planning, and any compromise could result in extended downtime, data loss, or forced reliance on alternative backup methods that may not be as reliable or comprehensive. Organizations using this version of Norton Ghost would face potential operational disruption and increased risk during critical recovery scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching and updating of Symantec Norton Ghost 12.0 installations to the latest available versions that address these unspecified flaws. System administrators should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of backup systems to untrusted networks, reducing potential attack surfaces. Additionally, monitoring and logging of backup operations should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and following secure coding practices as outlined in the software security development lifecycle. Organizations should also consider implementing alternative backup solutions with more robust security features and regular vulnerability assessments to prevent similar issues in their backup infrastructure. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical need for comprehensive security testing and validation of backup software components, particularly those handling sensitive data and system recovery operations.