CVE-2007-4792 in AIX
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in ibstat in devices.common.IBM.ib.rte in IBM AIX 5.3 allows local users to gain privileges via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/23/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4792 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the ibstat utility component of IBM AIX 5.3 operating systems. This issue resides within the devices.common.IBM.ib.rte package, which manages InfiniBand hardware components and their associated system interfaces. The buffer overflow vulnerability specifically affects the ibstat utility that is responsible for displaying InfiniBand device status information and system configuration details. This particular flaw enables local attackers who already have system access to potentially escalate their privileges and gain elevated system permissions. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management within the ibstat utility's handling of data structures that process InfiniBand device information. The flaw manifests when the utility processes certain input parameters or device configuration data that exceeds the allocated buffer space, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited for privilege escalation. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-121, which categorizes buffer overflow conditions that occur when insufficient space is allocated for data, and represents a classic example of stack-based buffer overflow that can be leveraged for privilege escalation attacks. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege elevation as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive system information and control over critical networking infrastructure components. Local users who can execute the ibstat utility can exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary code with higher privileges, potentially compromising the entire InfiniBand subsystem and associated network communications. The attack vector requires local system access but does not require network connectivity or special authentication mechanisms, making it particularly concerning for environments where local access controls are not strictly enforced. Organizations running IBM AIX 5.3 systems with InfiniBand networking components face significant risk from this vulnerability, as it can be exploited by any user with basic system access to gain elevated privileges and potentially compromise system integrity.
The technical exploitation of CVE-2007-4792 follows established patterns for buffer overflow attacks within Unix-like operating systems. The ibstat utility likely processes command-line arguments or system configuration data without adequate bounds checking, allowing attackers to provide input that overflows predetermined buffer sizes. This overflow can overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses, function pointers, or privilege level indicators within the program's execution context. When combined with the local execution requirements, attackers can leverage this vulnerability through carefully crafted input sequences that manipulate the program's execution flow to redirect control to malicious code or elevate privilege levels within the existing process context. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers privilege escalation through local exploits, demonstrates how this flaw fits into broader attack frameworks targeting system-level access. IBM's AIX 5.3 operating system architecture, which employs traditional Unix memory management models, makes this particular buffer overflow scenario more likely to succeed due to the lack of modern exploit mitigation features such as stack canaries or address space layout randomization that are commonly found in more recent system versions. The specific nature of the vulnerability suggests that the ibstat utility's implementation does not properly validate the length of input data before copying it into fixed-size buffers, creating predictable memory corruption patterns that attackers can exploit systematically. This flaw represents a fundamental security weakness in the software design that allows attackers to manipulate program execution flow through memory corruption rather than through more complex exploitation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-4792 must address both immediate remediation and long-term system hardening approaches to protect against privilege escalation attacks. The primary recommendation involves applying the appropriate IBM security patches and updates that address the buffer overflow vulnerability within the ibstat utility and related InfiniBand components. Organizations should also implement strict access controls and privilege management policies to limit local system access to only authorized personnel, reducing the attack surface for local privilege escalation attempts. System administrators should conduct regular security audits to identify and disable unnecessary InfiniBand utilities and services that may present additional attack vectors. The implementation of additional security controls such as mandatory access controls, enhanced logging of system utility executions, and monitoring for anomalous privilege escalation patterns can help detect exploitation attempts. Security professionals should consider implementing network segmentation and isolation of InfiniBand components to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, as the vulnerability specifically affects systems with InfiniBand networking capabilities. Organizations should also review and update their incident response procedures to ensure proper handling of privilege escalation events, as this vulnerability can potentially provide attackers with persistent access to system resources. The vulnerability's age and the end-of-life status of IBM AIX 5.3 systems make it particularly critical for organizations to plan migration to supported versions or implement additional compensating controls. Regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar buffer overflow vulnerabilities in other system utilities and applications that may present similar privilege escalation risks. The remediation process should also include comprehensive testing of patches to ensure that the security updates do not introduce compatibility issues with existing InfiniBand networking configurations or system management tools.