CVE-2008-2703 in GroupWise Messenger
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in Novell GroupWise Messenger (GWIM) Client before 2.0.3 HP1 for Windows allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via "spoofed server responses" that contain a long string after the NM_A_SZ_TRANSACTION_ID field name.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2703 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw in Novell GroupWise Messenger Client version 2.0.2 and earlier releases for Windows operating systems. This vulnerability resides within the client application's handling of network communications and specifically targets the processing of server response messages. The flaw manifests when the client receives a spoofed server response containing an excessively long string immediately following the NM_A_SZ_TRANSACTION_ID field name, which triggers improper memory boundary checks during message parsing operations.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability falls under CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, where the application fails to properly validate input length before copying data to a fixed-size stack buffer. The GroupWise Messenger Client processes network messages containing transaction identifiers and other metadata fields, but does not implement adequate bounds checking for the string data that follows the NM_A_SZ_TRANSACTION_ID field. When an attacker crafts a malicious server response with an overly long string in this position, the application's buffer management routines overflow the allocated stack space, potentially overwriting adjacent memory locations including return addresses and control data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote code execution capabilities for attackers who can successfully forge server responses. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected user, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The attack vector requires the victim to be connected to a malicious server or to receive a spoofed response through network interception techniques, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users may connect to untrusted messaging servers or where man-in-the-middle attacks are possible. The vulnerability affects the client-side application specifically, meaning that successful exploitation requires the target to be actively using the vulnerable GroupWise Messenger Client software.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage application vulnerabilities to execute malicious code on target systems. The mitigation strategy involves applying the vendor-provided patch version 2.0.3 HP1 which addresses the buffer overflow by implementing proper input validation and length checking for the transaction ID field processing. Organizations should also consider network segmentation and monitoring of GroupWise Messenger communications to detect and prevent potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of connecting to untrusted messaging servers and the importance of keeping client software updated to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation in network protocols and highlights how seemingly benign field processing can become a critical security weakness when proper bounds checking is omitted.