CVE-2008-1302 in Perforce Server
Summary
by MITRE
The Perforce service (p4s.exe) in Perforce Server 2007.3/143793 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) via a (1) server-DiffFile or (2) server-ReleaseFile command with a large integer value, which is used in an array initialization calculation, and leads to invalid memory access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1302 affects the Perforce Server software version 2007.3 build 143793 and earlier, specifically targeting the Perforce service executable known as p4s.exe. This issue represents a critical denial of service weakness that can be exploited by remote attackers to crash the Perforce daemon, effectively disrupting version control operations for teams relying on this enterprise-grade source code management system. The vulnerability manifests through two distinct attack vectors involving server-DiffFile and server-ReleaseFile commands that accept large integer values as parameters.
The technical flaw resides in how the Perforce service handles integer parameter values within array initialization calculations during the processing of DiffFile and ReleaseFile commands. When attackers submit maliciously large integer values through these commands, the system performs array initialization calculations that result in invalid memory access patterns. This memory corruption occurs because the software fails to properly validate or sanitize the integer inputs before using them in memory allocation operations. The flaw essentially allows an attacker to manipulate the memory management routines of the service, causing it to attempt array allocations that either exceed system limits or result in malformed memory addresses that trigger a daemon crash.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can severely affect development workflows and collaborative software projects that depend on Perforce for version control. Organizations utilizing affected Perforce Server versions face potential downtime during which developers cannot access or modify source code repositories, leading to productivity losses and potential project delays. The remote nature of the attack means that unauthorized users can exploit this weakness from external networks without requiring local system access, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with public-facing Perforce servers. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-129, which describes improper validation of array index values, and represents a classic example of buffer overflow conditions that can be triggered through integer overflows.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-1302 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Perforce Server installations to version 2007.4 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the integer validation issues. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to Perforce servers and consider implementing additional access controls and monitoring to detect suspicious command patterns. The fix typically involves strengthening input validation routines to ensure that integer parameters used in array calculations fall within acceptable ranges before any memory allocation occurs. Security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts through network logs and implement intrusion detection systems that can identify the specific command sequences associated with this vulnerability. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks targeting services and daemon processes, emphasizing the importance of proper input validation and memory management in preventing such attacks.