CVE-2007-4620 in Threat Manager for the Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in Computer Associates (CA) Alert Notification Service (Alert.exe) 8.1.586.0, 8.0.450.0, and 7.1.758.0, as used in multiple CA products including Anti-Virus for the Enterprise 7.1 through r11.1 and Threat Manager for the Enterprise 8.1 and r8, allow remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code via crafted RPC requests.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4620 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within the Computer Associates Alert Notification Service component, specifically affecting versions 8.1.586.0, 8.0.450.0, and 7.1.758.0. This security weakness resides in the alert.exe executable that forms part of CA's enterprise security infrastructure, particularly impacting Anti-Virus for the Enterprise products across versions 7.1 through r11.1 and Threat Manager for the Enterprise 8.1 and r8. The flaw manifests through the service's handling of Remote Procedure Call (RPC) requests, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's memory management mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the RPC processing code of the Alert Notification Service. When the service receives crafted RPC requests containing overly long data payloads, it fails to properly bounds-check the incoming data before copying it into fixed-size stack buffers. This classic buffer overflow condition allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and control data, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the Alert.exe process. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires only authenticated access to the RPC interface, making it exploitable by users who have legitimate credentials within the system.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to enterprise security infrastructures that rely on CA's security products for threat detection and management. The remote execution capability means that attackers could potentially compromise entire security ecosystems without requiring physical access or complex network penetration techniques. The authenticated requirement reduces the attack surface compared to fully remote exploits, but the widespread deployment of these products across enterprise networks makes the impact substantial. Security administrators face the challenge of identifying vulnerable systems while maintaining operational continuity, as the affected services are typically integral to enterprise security operations.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches and updates released for this vulnerability, which would address the buffer overflow conditions through proper input validation and bounds checking mechanisms. Network segmentation and access control measures should be enhanced to limit RPC access to only necessary administrative systems. The implementation of intrusion detection systems capable of identifying anomalous RPC traffic patterns can provide additional monitoring capabilities. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected software versions and ensure proper patch management processes are in place. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 stack-based buffer overflow and represents a technique categorized under ATT&CK tactic TA0002 (Execution) and technique T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell).