CVE-2008-2928 in Directory Server
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple buffer overflows in the adminutil library in CGI applications in Red Hat Directory Server 7.1 before SP7 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted Accept-Language HTTP header.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/16/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2928 represents a critical security flaw within the Red Hat Directory Server 7.1 implementation, specifically affecting the adminutil library used in CGI applications. This issue manifests through multiple buffer overflow conditions that occur when processing HTTP headers, particularly the Accept-Language field commonly used in web browser requests to indicate preferred language settings. The vulnerability exists in the server's handling of user-supplied input within the administrative utility components that are part of the directory server's web interface functionality.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through malformed Accept-Language HTTP headers that trigger buffer overflow conditions in the adminutil library code. When the server processes these crafted headers, the insufficient bounds checking and memory management in the library causes data to be written beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. This fundamental flaw in memory handling creates opportunities for attackers to either crash the daemon process through controlled memory corruption or potentially execute arbitrary code if the overflow conditions are properly manipulated to overwrite critical program execution pointers. The vulnerability affects the administrative CGI applications that are part of the Red Hat Directory Server 7.1 platform, which are used for managing directory services and user authentication systems.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to directory server availability and system integrity. The potential for remote denial of service means that attackers can systematically crash the directory server daemon, disrupting authentication services for all users and applications relying on the directory infrastructure. This creates cascading effects throughout enterprise networks where directory services are fundamental to user access control and system authentication. Additionally, the possibility of arbitrary code execution introduces severe security implications, as attackers could potentially gain elevated privileges within the server environment, compromise the directory database, or establish persistent access points for further network infiltration. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations using Red Hat Directory Server 7.1 before the SP7 service pack, where the security patches had not yet been applied to address these memory corruption issues.
The remediation approach for this vulnerability requires immediate application of the vendor-provided security patches and updates to Red Hat Directory Server 7.1 to SP7 or later versions. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the affected administrative interfaces to trusted networks only. Security monitoring should include detection of malformed HTTP headers and unusual patterns in directory service access attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of unsafe memory handling practices that can lead to both denial of service and code execution scenarios. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving command and control communication through web protocols and privilege escalation through service exploitation, making it a significant concern for enterprise security operations and incident response procedures.