CVE-2007-4148 in Audit
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in the Visionsoft Audit on Demand Service (VSAOD) in Visionsoft Audit 12.4.0.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (persistent daemon crashes) or execute arbitrary code via a long filename in a "LOG." command.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4148 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow within the Visionsoft Audit on Demand Service component of Visionsoft Audit version 12.4.0.0. This flaw exists in the handling of filename data within the LOG command implementation, creating a significant security risk that can be exploited remotely by malicious actors. The affected service operates as a persistent daemon process that processes audit log data, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to disrupt operations or gain unauthorized system access. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the service receives a malformed LOG command containing an excessively long filename parameter, which exceeds the allocated buffer space in memory.
From a technical perspective, this buffer overflow occurs in the heap memory management portion of the Visionsoft Audit on Demand Service daemon. When processing the LOG command, the software fails to properly validate or limit the length of the filename parameter before copying it into a fixed-size buffer allocated on the heap. This improper bounds checking creates an exploitable condition where an attacker can overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting the heap metadata or executing arbitrary code. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-121 as a heap-based buffer overflow, which represents a common and dangerous class of memory corruption vulnerabilities that can lead to complete system compromise. The heap-based nature of this flaw makes it particularly challenging to detect and exploit compared to stack-based buffer overflows, as heap corruption can be more subtle and harder to predict.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass potential complete system compromise. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to cause persistent daemon crashes, effectively creating a denial of service scenario that disrupts audit logging functionality and potentially affects system monitoring capabilities. More critically, the buffer overflow can be exploited to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the running service, which typically operates with elevated system permissions. This privilege escalation capability allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive audit data, potentially modifying or deleting audit logs to cover their tracks. The persistent nature of the daemon service means that successful exploitation can result in ongoing system compromise rather than a one-time disruption, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where audit logging is critical for security monitoring and compliance requirements.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-4148 should focus on immediate patching of the Visionsoft Audit software to the latest available version that addresses this specific buffer overflow vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the affected service to untrusted networks or users. The implementation of input validation measures at network boundaries can help filter out malicious LOG commands before they reach the vulnerable service. Additionally, monitoring for unusual daemon crash patterns or unexpected service restarts can help detect exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers may use the arbitrary code execution capability to deploy additional malicious tools. The vulnerability also relates to T1489 for data destruction and T1070 for indicator removal, as attackers could exploit this to modify or delete audit logs. System administrators should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious LOG command patterns and establish regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other legacy systems that may be running unpatched software components.