CVE-2008-4117 in Management Center
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in a web page in the PRM module in Sun Management Center (SunMC) 3.6.1 and 4.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/21/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-4117 affects Sun Management Center version 3.6.1 and 4.0 within its PRM module, presenting a significant security concern that enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks through memory consumption. This issue resides in the web page component of the PRM module, which serves as a critical interface for system management and monitoring activities. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple pathways exist for exploitation, making the vulnerability particularly concerning from a security perspective as it may be difficult to predict or fully enumerate all potential attack surfaces. The vulnerability specifically targets memory consumption patterns, indicating that the flaw likely involves improper resource management or handling of incoming requests that leads to uncontrolled memory growth within the application's runtime environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability appears to stem from inadequate input validation and resource management within the web page handling functionality of the PRM module. When remote attackers submit malicious requests or data through the affected web interface, the system fails to properly handle these inputs, resulting in progressive memory allocation without appropriate cleanup or bounds checking. This memory consumption behavior typically manifests as a gradual increase in memory usage until the system becomes unresponsive or crashes, effectively rendering the management interface unavailable to legitimate users. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, leveraging the web-based interface to exploit weaknesses in how the system processes incoming requests, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited from any location with network access to the affected system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it compromises the availability of critical management functions within Sun Management Center. Organizations relying on this platform for system monitoring and administration face significant risks when this vulnerability is exploited, as it can lead to complete unavailability of the management interface during active attacks. The memory consumption behavior suggests that the system may become increasingly unstable over time, potentially leading to system crashes or requiring manual intervention to restore normal operations. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where continuous monitoring and management are essential, as the denial of service can prevent administrators from accessing crucial system information and performing necessary maintenance tasks. The impact is further amplified in enterprise environments where multiple systems may be managed through a single Sun Management Center instance, potentially causing cascading failures across the entire management infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-4117 should focus on immediate patching of affected systems, as this represents a critical security flaw that requires vendor-provided fixes. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the affected web interface, restricting connections to trusted IP addresses and implementing proper authentication controls. Monitoring for unusual memory consumption patterns and implementing automated alerts for system resource utilization can help detect exploitation attempts before they cause significant disruption. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption," and may also relate to ATT&CK techniques involving denial of service attacks through resource exhaustion. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding within the web application framework can help prevent exploitation, while regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the management infrastructure. Organizations should also consider implementing rate limiting and connection throttling mechanisms to prevent exploitation through automated attack tools.