CVE-2007-3959 in Collaboration Suite
Summary
by MITRE
The IM Server (aka IMserve or IMserver) 2.0.5.30 and probably earlier in Ipswitch Instant Messaging before 2.07 in Ipswitch Collaboration Suite (ICS) allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) via certain data to TCP port 5179 that overwrites a destructor, as reachable by the (1) DoAttachVideoSender, (2) DoAttachVideoReceiver, (3) DoAttachAudioSender, and (4) DoAttachAudioReceiver functions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3959 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within the Ipswitch Instant Messaging Server component, specifically affecting version 2.0.5.30 and potentially earlier releases within the Ipswitch Collaboration Suite. This flaw exists within the IM Server daemon that operates on TCP port 5179, which serves as the primary communication channel for instant messaging functionalities. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize data received through specific protocol functions, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to disrupt service availability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves four specific functions that handle multimedia attachment operations: DoAttachVideoSender, DoAttachVideoReceiver, DoAttachAudioSender, and DoAttachAudioReceiver. These functions process incoming data packets that contain attachment parameters and metadata, but they do not perform adequate bounds checking or memory boundary validation before writing data to memory locations. When maliciously crafted data is transmitted to these functions, it can overwrite critical memory structures including destructors, which are responsible for cleaning up resources when objects are destroyed. This memory corruption directly leads to daemon crashes and subsequent service disruption, as the server process becomes unstable and terminates unexpectedly.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant threat to enterprise communication systems that rely on the Ipswitch Collaboration Suite for instant messaging services. The remote exploitability means that attackers can initiate denial of service attacks without requiring local system access or authentication credentials, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in networked environments. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption, as the daemon crash can result in complete loss of instant messaging functionality for all users within the affected network segment. Additionally, the crash may leave the system in an unstable state, potentially causing cascading failures or requiring manual intervention to restore normal operations.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of memory safety issues that have plagued network services for decades. From an attacker's perspective, this flaw maps to multiple techniques within the ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to denial of service and service disruption. The attack surface is well-defined and accessible through standard network reconnaissance, as TCP port 5179 is a well-known communication endpoint for this messaging service. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure, while also monitoring for unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The most effective mitigation strategy involves applying the official security patch released by Ipswitch for version 2.07 and later, which addresses the underlying memory corruption issues through proper input validation and bounds checking mechanisms.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of memory safety practices in network services and highlights how seemingly minor input validation gaps can result in severe operational impacts. The attack vector requires minimal sophistication while delivering maximum disruption potential, making it an attractive target for both malicious actors and automated exploitation tools. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potentially affected systems within their network infrastructure, as similar patterns of memory corruption may exist in other components of the Ipswitch Collaboration Suite or related messaging platforms.