CVE-2007-3872 in OpenView Operations
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in the Shared Trace Service (OVTrace) service for HP OpenView Operations A.07.50 for Windows, and possibly earlier versions, allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via certain crafted requests.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3872 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within the Shared Trace Service component of HP OpenView Operations A.07.50 for Windows systems. This vulnerability resides in the OVTrace service which is part of Hewlett Packard's enterprise monitoring and management platform. The flaw manifests when the service processes certain crafted network requests, creating a condition where attacker-controlled data can overflow the allocated stack buffer space. Such buffer overflows are particularly dangerous because they can be exploited to overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and function pointers, potentially allowing remote code execution with elevated privileges. The vulnerability affects not only the specific version mentioned but also potentially earlier versions of the software, indicating a widespread exposure across the product line. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which is classified as a fundamental memory safety issue in software development practices. The attack vector is remote, meaning that malicious actors can exploit this vulnerability without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where such monitoring tools are typically deployed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution to encompass complete system compromise and potential lateral movement within network environments. When successfully exploited, the buffer overflow allows attackers to inject and execute arbitrary code on the vulnerable system, potentially gaining full administrative control over the OpenView Operations server. This represents a severe threat to enterprise security infrastructure since OpenView Operations is designed to monitor and manage critical business systems, making the compromised server a potential gateway for accessing other network resources. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target systems from outside the network perimeter, potentially bypassing traditional network security controls. Organizations running affected versions of HP OpenView Operations face significant risk of data breaches, system infiltration, and disruption of critical monitoring services. The exploitability of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves exploiting software vulnerabilities for privilege escalation and persistent access. Given that the service operates with elevated privileges to perform system monitoring tasks, successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise with minimal effort from attackers.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-3872 should focus on immediate patching and network segmentation measures to protect vulnerable systems. The most effective solution involves applying the official security patches released by Hewlett Packard to address the buffer overflow vulnerability in the OVTrace service. Organizations should also implement network-based controls such as firewall rules that restrict access to the affected service ports, limiting exposure to trusted networks only. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and input validation in enterprise software development, as proper bounds checking and memory management would have prevented the overflow condition. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts against the affected service. System administrators should also consider disabling the OVTrace service if it is not essential for operations, as this would eliminate the attack surface entirely. The incident underscores the necessity of regular vulnerability assessments and security updates as part of enterprise security management. Organizations should also implement network intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and maintain detailed logging of service access patterns. Proper incident response procedures should be established to quickly address any exploitation attempts, including system isolation and forensic analysis to determine the full scope of potential compromise. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical need for maintaining up-to-date security patches across all enterprise systems, particularly those running legacy monitoring and management platforms.