CVE-2007-4228 in AIX
Summary
by MITRE
rmpvc on IBM AIX 4.3 allows local users to cause a denial of service (system crash) via long port logical name (-l) argument.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4228 affects the rmpvc utility on IBM AIX 4.3 systems, representing a denial of service flaw that can result in system crashes. This issue specifically manifests when local users provide excessively long port logical name arguments using the -l command line option. The rmpvc utility, which is part of IBM AIX's networking infrastructure, handles the management of remote port virtual circuit connections and is integral to the proper functioning of network services on these systems. The flaw demonstrates a classic buffer overflow condition where input validation fails to properly handle oversized parameters, leading to memory corruption and subsequent system instability.
This vulnerability operates at the system level within the AIX operating system's networking stack, specifically targeting the rmpvc daemon or utility responsible for managing virtual circuit connections. The technical implementation involves the utility's failure to validate the length of the logical name parameter passed through the -l switch, allowing attackers to supply input that exceeds the allocated buffer space. When the utility processes this malformed input, it overwrites adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting critical system structures or causing the utility to crash. The vulnerability is classified as a local privilege escalation issue since it requires local system access to exploit, though the impact extends to system-wide availability through the resulting denial of service condition.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-4228 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromising the entire system stability and network connectivity. When the rmpvc utility crashes due to this vulnerability, it can affect network services that depend on virtual circuit management, potentially causing cascading failures throughout the system's network infrastructure. The denial of service condition can render network services unavailable for extended periods until system administrators restart the affected services or reboot the system. This vulnerability particularly impacts enterprise environments where AIX systems serve as critical network infrastructure components, as the disruption can affect multiple networked applications and services that rely on stable virtual circuit connections.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions in stack-based buffers, and represents a classic example of improper input validation in system utilities. The flaw demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where input parameters are not adequately sanitized or length-checked before processing. From an attacker's standpoint, this represents a low-effort but high-impact method of causing system instability, fitting within ATT&CK technique T1499.1 for network denial of service attacks. Organizations should implement proper input validation mechanisms and ensure that system utilities perform adequate parameter length checking to prevent such buffer overflow conditions from occurring. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular system patching and security maintenance, as IBM would have addressed this issue through subsequent security updates and system patches.