CVE-2008-0979 in Double-Take
Summary
by MITRE
Stack consumption vulnerability in Double-Take 5.0.0.2865 and earlier, distributed under the HP StorageWorks Storage Mirroring name and other names, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) via a certain packet that triggers the recursive calling of a function.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/19/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0979 represents a critical stack consumption issue affecting Double-Take 5.0.0.2865 and earlier versions, which are distributed under the HP StorageWorks Storage Mirroring brand and other naming conventions. This vulnerability resides within the daemon process responsible for storage mirroring operations, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where continuous data protection is essential. The flaw manifests when the system receives a specially crafted packet that triggers recursive function calls, leading to excessive stack memory consumption and ultimately causing the daemon to crash.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and lack of proper recursion depth checking within the packet processing logic. When the daemon encounters a malformed packet containing recursive calling instructions, the system's stack memory begins to consume rapidly without proper bounds checking. This behavior aligns with CWE-123, which addresses "Uncontrolled Recursion" in software systems, where recursive function calls are not properly bounded or monitored. The vulnerability operates at the network protocol level, making it accessible to remote attackers who can exploit it through network communication channels without requiring local system access or authentication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it can severely disrupt data protection workflows and storage mirroring operations. In enterprise storage environments, where HP StorageWorks Storage Mirroring is typically deployed for business continuity and disaster recovery purposes, a daemon crash can result in extended downtime for critical storage services. The vulnerability affects systems that rely on continuous mirroring operations, potentially leaving data unprotected during the crash recovery period and creating potential data loss scenarios. This type of attack aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers "Endpoint Denial of Service" through resource exhaustion attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-0979 should focus on immediate patching of affected Double-Take versions, with organizations implementing network segmentation to limit access to storage mirroring services. The recommended approach includes applying vendor patches that implement proper recursion depth limiting and input validation mechanisms. Additionally, network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect unusual packet patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while implementing rate limiting to prevent rapid successive packet flooding. System administrators should also consider implementing redundant storage mirroring configurations to minimize the impact of daemon crashes and ensure business continuity during remediation periods. Organizations should conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify other potentially affected systems and establish monitoring protocols for detecting similar stack consumption vulnerabilities in their storage infrastructure.