CVE-2007-5657 in Enterprise Message Service
Summary
by MITRE
TIBCO SmartSockets RTserver 6.8.0 and earlier, RTworks before 4.0.4, and Enterprise Message Service (EMS) 4.0.0 through 4.4.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted requests containing values that are used as pointer offsets.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/05/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-5657 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw affecting multiple TIBCO messaging and real-time communication products. This vulnerability exists in TIBCO SmartSockets RTserver versions 6.8.0 and earlier, RTworks before version 4.0.4, and Enterprise Message Service (EMS) versions 4.0.0 through 4.4.1. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied input data that is subsequently used as pointer offsets within the software's memory management operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the improper handling of crafted requests containing malicious offset values that are directly used in pointer arithmetic operations. When the affected TIBCO components process these malformed requests, the system performs pointer calculations using the attacker-controlled values without adequate bounds checking or validation. This allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to manipulate memory pointers and potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected service process. The vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which specifically addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and more broadly under CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write operations that can lead to code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote code execution without authentication, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise messaging infrastructure. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain full control over affected systems, potentially leading to data breaches, service disruption, and lateral movement within network environments. The affected TIBCO products are commonly used in mission-critical applications including financial services, healthcare, and telecommunications, where the compromise of messaging infrastructure can have cascading effects across entire business operations. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for execution through the manipulation of memory addresses and pointer operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-5657 should prioritize immediate patching of all affected TIBCO products to the latest available versions that contain proper input validation and memory management fixes. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to affected services, particularly those exposed to untrusted networks. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous request patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while regular security assessments should verify that all TIBCO installations have been properly updated. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify the specific malformed request patterns associated with this vulnerability, and maintain comprehensive incident response procedures to address potential exploitation attempts.