CVE-2008-1667 in Probe Builder
Summary
by MITRE
The Probe Builder Service (aka PBOVISServer.exe) in European Performance Systems (EPS) Probe Builder 2.2 before A.02.20.901, as used in HP OpenView Internet Services (OVIS) on Windows, allows remote attackers to kill arbitrary processes via a process ID number in an unspecified opcode.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1667 resides within the Probe Builder Service component of European Performance Systems Probe Builder 2.2, specifically affecting HP OpenView Internet Services implementations on Windows platforms. This flaw manifests in the PBOVISServer.exe process which serves as the core service responsible for probe management and monitoring activities within the OVIS framework. The vulnerability represents a critical security weakness that enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary process termination commands, fundamentally compromising system integrity and operational continuity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the Probe Builder Service's communication protocol handling mechanism. Attackers can exploit this weakness by sending specially crafted packets containing process ID numbers through an unspecified opcode within the service's communication interface. The service fails to properly validate or sanitize the process ID input, allowing malicious actors to specify any process identifier they wish to terminate. This lack of proper access control and input sanitization creates a direct pathway for privilege escalation and system disruption attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service interruption, potentially enabling attackers to compromise the entire monitoring infrastructure. By terminating critical processes including the Probe Builder Service itself, attackers can disrupt system monitoring capabilities and potentially gain unauthorized access to underlying system resources. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not require physical access or local privileges to execute the attack, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where the service may be exposed to external networks. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-20, representing a weakness in input validation that allows arbitrary process termination, and falls under ATT&CK technique T1489 which describes disrupting services through process termination.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected systems to the latest versions of HP OpenView Internet Services that contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the Probe Builder Service ports and consider disabling the service entirely if it is not required for critical operations. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual process termination patterns and unauthorized access attempts to the affected service. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and privilege separation can help limit the potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in the broader system infrastructure, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of validating all inputs received through network services and implementing proper privilege controls for system management functions.