CVE-2009-3276 in corenet1
Summary
by MITRE
Zoran/WinFormsAdvansed/RegeularDataToXML/Form1.cs in WinFormsAdvansed in NASD CORE.NET Terelik (aka corenet1) allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via an input string composed of many alphabetic characters followed by a ! (exclamation point), related to a certain regular expression, aka a "ReDoS" vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/20/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-3276 represents a classic Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) flaw within the WinFormsAdvansed component of NASD CORE.NET Terelik, specifically in the Form1.cs file. This vulnerability manifests in the context of regular expression processing where the application fails to handle maliciously crafted input strings that can trigger exponential backtracking behavior in the regular expression engine. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it resides within a core networking component that forms part of the broader Terelik framework, which is designed for enterprise-level data processing and network communication scenarios.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the improper design of regular expressions used in the data processing pipeline of the WinFormsAdvansed module. When an attacker submits an input string composed of numerous alphabetic characters followed by an exclamation point, the regular expression engine enters a state of catastrophic backtracking. This occurs because the regular expression pattern contains constructs that allow for multiple matching paths, causing the engine to exhaust system resources through repeated state evaluations. The specific nature of the regular expression pattern, as referenced in CWE-1321, creates a situation where the computational complexity grows exponentially with input length rather than remaining polynomial, leading to substantial CPU consumption that can effectively render the system unresponsive.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass potential business continuity risks for organizations utilizing the Terelik framework. Attackers can leverage this flaw to consume excessive CPU cycles, potentially causing denial of service conditions that affect not only the targeted application but also the underlying system resources. The vulnerability affects the core networking capabilities of the system, making it particularly dangerous in environments where continuous network availability is critical. According to ATT&CK framework category T1499, this vulnerability represents a method for executing resource exhaustion attacks that can be classified as a form of denial of service. The impact is amplified in enterprise environments where the affected component may be part of critical infrastructure or high-traffic applications that process large volumes of data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar issues in the future. Organizations should implement regular expression validation and testing procedures to identify potentially vulnerable patterns before deployment, utilizing tools that can detect catastrophic backtracking scenarios. The recommended approach includes rewriting the problematic regular expressions to eliminate exponential backtracking possibilities, implementing input length limits, and establishing proper bounds checking for all regular expression operations. Additionally, implementing rate limiting and input sanitization mechanisms can provide defense-in-depth protection against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of adhering to secure coding practices as outlined in CWE-1321, which emphasizes the need for careful regular expression design to prevent resource exhaustion attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring and alerting systems to detect unusual CPU consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, particularly in networked environments where such vulnerabilities can be leveraged for broader impact.