CVE-2008-1337 in Timbuktu Pro
Summary
by MITRE
The instant message service in Timbuktu Pro 8.6.5 RC 229 and earlier for Windows allows remote attackers to cause (1) a denial of service (daemon crash) via an invalid Version field or (2) a denial of service (CPU consumption and daemon termination) via an invalid or partial message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1337 affects the instant messaging service component of Timbuktu Pro version 8.6.5 RC 229 and earlier running on Windows systems. This represents a critical security flaw that exposes the remote attack surface of the messaging daemon to malicious exploitation through malformed message handling. The vulnerability specifically targets the protocol parsing mechanisms within the instant messaging service, which lacks proper input validation and error handling for incoming communication messages. The affected service operates as a daemon process that handles real-time messaging communications, making it a prime target for denial of service attacks that can disrupt legitimate user access and communication services.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of message format fields within the Timbuktu Pro instant messaging protocol handler. When the daemon receives a message with an invalid Version field, it fails to properly process this malformed data and subsequently crashes, resulting in immediate service disruption. Additionally, when the service encounters invalid or partial messages, it consumes excessive CPU resources while attempting to process these malformed inputs, eventually leading to daemon termination and complete service unavailability. This dual nature of the vulnerability demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where the system does not implement robust error handling or input sanitization mechanisms. The flaw falls under the category of improper input validation and inadequate error handling, which are commonly associated with CWE-20, CWE-252, and CWE-400 categories that address issues with input validation and resource exhaustion.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-1337 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the availability of critical communication infrastructure within organizations that rely on Timbuktu Pro for remote desktop and messaging services. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to repeatedly crash the messaging daemon, causing persistent service interruptions that affect legitimate users and potentially creating opportunities for further attacks. The CPU consumption aspect of the vulnerability is particularly concerning as it allows for resource exhaustion attacks that can impact system performance and availability. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which involves network denial of service attacks. The attack vector is remote, meaning that adversaries do not require local system access to exploit the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where the service is exposed to external networks.
Organizations utilizing Timbuktu Pro 8.6.5 RC 229 or earlier should immediately implement mitigations to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves applying the vendor-provided security patches or upgrading to a newer version of Timbuktu Pro that includes proper input validation and error handling mechanisms. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of the vulnerable service to untrusted networks. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual daemon crashes or CPU consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of implementing defensive programming practices including input validation, error handling, and resource management to prevent similar issues in other network services. Security teams should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify malformed message patterns associated with this specific vulnerability. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability may impact organizations' adherence to security standards such as those outlined in NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001, which emphasize the importance of secure coding practices and vulnerability management processes.