CVE-2007-4237 in AIX
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the atm subset in arp in devices.common.IBM.atm.rte in AIX 5.2 and 5.3 allows local users to gain root privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/23/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-4237 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the AIX operating system's ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) networking subsystem. This issue specifically affects the arp implementation within the devices.common.IBM.atm.rte component of AIX versions 5.2 and 5.3, creating a significant security risk that can be exploited by local attackers to escalate privileges to root level access. The flaw exists in the way the system handles ATM network address resolution protocol operations, where insufficient input validation allows malicious data to overwrite adjacent memory regions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking within the ATM subset of the Address Resolution Protocol functionality. When processing certain ATM network requests or configuration parameters, the system fails to validate the length of input data before copying it into fixed-size buffers. This classic buffer overflow condition occurs because the code does not properly verify that incoming data fits within allocated memory boundaries, allowing an attacker to craft malicious input that overflows the buffer and potentially corrupts critical system memory. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within a privileged context that handles network protocol processing, making it accessible to local users who may not otherwise have elevated privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to gain complete control over affected AIX systems. Local users who can execute code on the target system can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code with root privileges, effectively compromising the entire system. This type of vulnerability can be exploited to install backdoors, modify system files, disable security mechanisms, or extract sensitive data from the compromised system. The attack vector requires local access to the system, which makes it less likely to be exploited remotely but still poses a significant risk in environments where local access is possible or where insider threats exist.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices that should prevent such memory corruption issues. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability would be categorized under the privilege escalation techniques found in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically within the privilege escalation tactics where local users can leverage system flaws to gain elevated privileges. Organizations should consider implementing immediate mitigations including applying the relevant IBM security patches, restricting local user access to network configuration utilities, and monitoring for suspicious network activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as mandatory access controls, privilege separation mechanisms, and regular vulnerability assessments to prevent similar issues from occurring in other system components. The remediation process requires careful attention to ensure that the patch does not introduce compatibility issues with existing ATM network configurations while maintaining the integrity of the system's network functionality.