CVE-2008-2704 in GroupWise Messenger
Summary
by MITRE
Novell GroupWise Messenger (GWIM) before 2.0.3 Hot Patch 1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a long user ID, possibly involving a popup alert. NOTE: it is not clear whether this issue crosses privilege boundaries.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/12/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2704 affects Novell GroupWise Messenger version 2.0.2 and earlier, representing a classic buffer overflow condition that manifests as a denial of service attack. This flaw specifically targets the client-side application handling of user identifiers, where an attacker can craft a maliciously long user ID string that triggers an application crash. The vulnerability operates through the GWIM client interface, where the system processes user credentials and displays popup alerts during authentication or communication processes. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and boundary checking within the messaging client's user ID processing routines, creating an exploitable condition where the application fails to properly handle oversized data inputs.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of user ID fields during the GroupWise Messenger client operation, where the application's memory management fails to account for excessively long input strings. When a malformed user ID exceeding the allocated buffer space is processed, the application experiences a memory corruption event that results in an abrupt termination or crash of the messaging client process. This behavior aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflows that can lead to application instability. The vulnerability specifically impacts the client-side execution environment where user credentials are validated and processed, making it particularly concerning for enterprise communication systems where GroupWise Messenger serves as a primary collaboration tool.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can be leveraged to systematically destabilize GroupWise Messenger clients across an organization. Attackers can remotely exploit this condition without requiring authentication or elevated privileges, making it a particularly dangerous flaw in enterprise environments where multiple users rely on the messaging platform for daily operations. The potential for cross-privilege boundary exploitation remains uncertain, but the nature of the vulnerability suggests it could affect users with different privilege levels if the application fails to properly isolate user contexts during processing. This type of denial of service attack can significantly impact business continuity, especially in organizations that depend heavily on GroupWise Messenger for internal communications and collaboration.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-2704 should focus on immediate patch deployment and application hardening measures. Organizations must upgrade to Novell GroupWise Messenger version 2.0.3 Hot Patch 1 or later, which contains the necessary code modifications to prevent buffer overflow conditions during user ID processing. Additionally, network-level controls such as input validation at proxy servers and firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. The implementation of proper application sandboxing and memory protection mechanisms can help contain potential exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual user ID patterns and monitoring for client crash events that may indicate exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and T1059.007, covering command and scripting interpreter usage, though the latter is less directly applicable given the nature of the buffer overflow.
The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and proper buffer management in client-side applications, particularly in enterprise messaging systems where user interaction can be leveraged for exploitation. Organizations should implement comprehensive security testing procedures including fuzzing and boundary condition testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other messaging clients and collaboration platforms. Regular security assessments and vulnerability management programs should prioritize identification of buffer overflow conditions in legacy applications that continue to operate in enterprise environments. The incident also underscores the critical need for maintaining up-to-date security patches and establishing robust vulnerability remediation processes that can quickly address newly discovered flaws in widely deployed enterprise applications.