CVE-2008-7290 in Tivoli Directory Server
Summary
by MITRE
Memory leak in the ldap_explode_rdn API function in IBM Tivoli Directory Server (TDS) 5.2 before 5.2.0.5-TIV-ITDS-LA0007 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by making many function calls.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-7290 represents a critical memory management flaw within IBM Tivoli Directory Server version 5.2 prior to 5.2.0.5-TIV-ITDS-LA0007. This issue manifests through the ldap_explode_rdn API function, which is responsible for parsing and processing relative distinguished names within directory services. The flaw enables authenticated remote attackers to exploit a memory leak condition that progressively consumes system resources, ultimately leading to denial of service conditions. The vulnerability specifically targets the server's ability to handle repeated function calls, creating a scenario where memory allocation occurs without proper deallocation, resulting in gradual memory exhaustion.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the ldap_explode_rdn function, which processes directory service requests containing relative distinguished names. When authenticated users make numerous successive calls to this API function, the server fails to properly release allocated memory segments, causing a progressive accumulation of memory consumption. This memory leak behavior aligns with CWE-401, which categorizes improper resource deallocation as a fundamental weakness in resource management. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, specifically within the directory service's API interface, making it accessible to authenticated users who can leverage their credentials to trigger the memory consumption pattern.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to directory service availability and system stability. The memory leak gradually degrades server performance as available memory diminishes, eventually leading to complete service unavailability when system resources are exhausted. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability through legitimate authenticated sessions, making detection more challenging as the malicious activity appears to be normal user behavior. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially affect other applications sharing the same system resources, creating cascading effects throughout the directory service infrastructure. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks targeting directory services.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2008-7290 requires immediate implementation of the vendor-provided security patch version 5.2.0.5-TIV-ITDS-LA0007, which addresses the memory leak in the ldap_explode_rdn function. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions to detect abnormal memory consumption patterns in directory service processes, enabling early detection of potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit the number of authenticated users with access to directory service APIs, reducing the attack surface. Additionally, implementing resource limits and memory monitoring for directory service processes can help contain the impact should exploitation occur. Security teams should conduct regular vulnerability assessments targeting directory service components and maintain updated threat intelligence on similar memory management vulnerabilities in enterprise directory services. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper resource management in server applications and highlights the need for comprehensive testing of API functions under stress conditions to prevent exploitation scenarios.