CVE-2008-1303 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 missing parameter to the (1) dm-FaultFile, (2) dm-LazyCheck, (3) dm-ResolvedFile, (4) dm-OpenFile, (5) crypto, and possibly unspecified other commands, which triggers a NULL pointer dereference.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1303 affects the Perforce Server 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 remotely by attackers to crash the Perforce daemon service. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of command parameters within several specific commands including dm-FaultFile, dm-LazyCheck, dm-ResolvedFile, dm-OpenFile, and crypto operations. The flaw manifests when these commands are executed without required parameters, creating a condition where the service attempts to dereference a NULL pointer, leading to an immediate daemon crash and subsequent service unavailability. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-476 category of NULL Pointer Dereference, which is a well-documented weakness in software systems where applications fail to properly validate pointer references before accessing them.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can severely compromise the integrity of version control operations within development environments that rely on Perforce servers. When exploited, the denial of service condition renders the Perforce service completely unavailable, preventing developers from accessing code repositories, checking in changes, or performing version control operations. This can halt entire development workflows and cause significant productivity losses, particularly in environments where continuous integration and deployment pipelines depend on stable version control infrastructure. The vulnerability affects not only individual developers but also entire teams working within the same Perforce environment, potentially causing cascading effects across multiple projects and development cycles.
Security practitioners should recognize this vulnerability as a classic example of insufficient input validation that can be leveraged for service disruption attacks. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication or privileged access, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can establish communication with the Perforce service. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the service disruption category, where adversaries seek to compromise system availability through exploitation of software weaknesses. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust error handling and parameter validation in server applications, particularly those handling multiple command protocols where incomplete command execution can lead to catastrophic failures. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches, restricting network access to Perforce services, and monitoring for suspicious command execution patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The incident highlights the necessity of comprehensive security testing for server applications, particularly focusing on edge cases where parameters are omitted or malformed, as these scenarios often reveal critical flaws in defensive programming practices.