CVE-2008-1472 in Asset Management
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in the ListCtrl ActiveX Control (ListCtrl.ocx), as used in multiple CA products including BrightStor ARCserve Backup R11.5, Desktop Management Suite r11.1 through r11.2, and Unicenter products r11.1 through r11.2, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (crash) via a long argument to the AddColumn method.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/01/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1472 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within the ListCtrl ActiveX Control component that was widely distributed across multiple CA Technologies products. This particular vulnerability affects a range of enterprise backup and management solutions including BrightStor ARCserve Backup R11.5, Desktop Management Suite versions r11.1 through r11.2, and various Unicenter products from r11.1 through r11.2. The flaw specifically manifests within the AddColumn method of the ListCtrl.ocx ActiveX control, making it accessible through remote exploitation scenarios that can lead to severe security consequences. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 stack-based buffer overflow category, which is classified as a fundamental memory corruption issue that occurs when data written to a stack buffer exceeds the buffer's allocated size, potentially overwriting adjacent memory locations including return addresses and control data.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to provide a specially crafted, excessively long argument to the AddColumn method of the vulnerable ActiveX control. When the control processes this malformed input without proper bounds checking, the excessive data overflows the allocated stack buffer space, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged for arbitrary code execution. The nature of stack-based buffer overflows makes them particularly dangerous because they can be exploited to overwrite critical program execution flow control mechanisms, potentially allowing attackers to redirect program execution to malicious code injected into the buffer. This exploitation vector aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically targeting the execution of arbitrary code through memory corruption vulnerabilities. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple code execution to include potential denial of service conditions, where the buffer overflow may cause the application to crash or become unstable, rendering the affected backup or management services unavailable to legitimate users.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-1472 within enterprise environments is substantial, particularly given that the vulnerable products were widely deployed for critical backup and system management functions. Organizations utilizing these CA products would face potential compromise of their backup infrastructure, which could result in data loss, system unavailability, and broader operational disruption. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers could potentially compromise systems without requiring local access, making it especially dangerous for networked environments where these ActiveX controls might be loaded through web browsers or other remote access mechanisms. The widespread deployment of these products across enterprise networks means that successful exploitation could affect multiple systems simultaneously, potentially leading to cascading failures in backup and management operations. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of the broader ATT&CK matrix under T1203 for exploitation for privilege escalation, as compromised systems could potentially be used to gain further access to network resources. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and bounds checking in ActiveX controls, as the lack of such protections allowed the buffer overflow to occur. Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including disabling the vulnerable ActiveX controls where possible, implementing network segmentation to limit exposure, and applying available vendor patches to address the underlying buffer overflow condition. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the persistent risks associated with legacy ActiveX components in enterprise environments and the critical need for ongoing security assessments of deployed software components.