CVE-2007-6036 in Media Server
Summary
by MITRE
The parseRTSPRequestString function in LIVE555 Media Server 2007.11.01 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) via a short RTSP query, which causes a negative number to be used during memory allocation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6036 resides within the LIVE555 Media Server software version 2007.11.01 and earlier, representing a critical denial of service flaw that can be exploited remotely by attackers. This vulnerability specifically targets the parseRTSPRequestString function which processes incoming RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) requests. The flaw manifests when a maliciously crafted RTSP query is sent to the server, causing the daemon to crash and resulting in a complete service disruption. The root cause of this vulnerability lies in improper input validation and memory management within the RTSP parsing routine, creating a condition where untrusted data can manipulate the server's memory allocation process.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a carefully crafted short RTSP query that triggers a scenario where a negative value is calculated and subsequently used as a parameter for memory allocation functions. This negative number manipulation represents a classic buffer overflow condition that can be classified under CWE-129 Input Validation and Output Encoding, specifically CWE-125 Out-of-bounds Read and CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write. The improper handling of input data in the parseRTSPRequestString function creates a situation where attacker-controlled data directly influences memory allocation parameters, leading to unpredictable behavior and system instability. This vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the server's defensive programming practices and lacks proper bounds checking mechanisms for memory allocation operations.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to media streaming services that rely on LIVE555 Media Server implementations. The remote denial of service condition can be exploited by any attacker with network access to the vulnerable server, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where continuous availability is critical. The daemon crash resulting from this vulnerability effectively renders the media streaming service unavailable to legitimate users, potentially causing business disruption and loss of revenue. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption as it can be used as a precursor to more sophisticated attacks or as part of a broader assault on network infrastructure. Organizations using vulnerable versions of LIVE555 Media Server face potential exposure to persistent service degradation attacks that could be difficult to distinguish from legitimate network issues.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-6036 primarily focus on immediate remediation through software updates and patches provided by the vendor. System administrators should prioritize upgrading to LIVE555 Media Server versions that contain fixes for this vulnerability, as the issue affects the core parsing functionality that handles all incoming RTSP requests. Additionally, implementing network-level protections such as firewall rules that limit RTSP traffic or deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify and block malformed RTSP queries can provide temporary defensive measures. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of input validation practices and proper error handling in network services, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for Denial of Service and T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual patterns of service disruption that might indicate exploitation attempts. The fix for this vulnerability typically involves adding proper bounds checking and input validation to ensure that memory allocation parameters remain within valid ranges, preventing the negative number calculation from being passed to memory management functions.