CVE-2009-3947 in Tandberg Mxp Endpoints
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the FTP service on the Tandberg MXP F7.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (process crash or device reboot) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a long USER command, as demonstrated by a command ending with many space characters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/03/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-3947 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the File Transfer Protocol service of Tandberg MXP video conferencing devices running firmware version F7.0. This vulnerability specifically targets the USER command processing mechanism within the FTP service implementation, creating a pathway for remote attackers to exploit the device's memory handling capabilities. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and bounds checking when processing user authentication commands, particularly when handling excessively long strings that exceed the allocated buffer space. The vulnerability affects devices manufactured by Tandberg, a subsidiary of Cisco Systems, which are widely deployed in enterprise video conferencing environments and require robust security measures to protect against remote exploitation attempts.
The technical exploitation of this buffer overflow occurs when an attacker sends a specially crafted USER command containing an excessive number of trailing space characters to the FTP service. The device's FTP implementation fails to properly validate the length of the incoming command string before copying it into a fixed-size buffer, resulting in memory corruption that can overwrite adjacent memory locations. This memory corruption typically manifests as a process crash or system reboot, effectively causing a denial of service condition that disrupts video conferencing operations. However, in certain circumstances where the overflow allows for controlled memory manipulation, attackers may potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the FTP service process, leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow, representing a fundamental memory safety issue that has been documented in numerous security assessments and penetration testing reports.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially enable complete system compromise within enterprise video conferencing environments. Organizations relying on Tandberg MXP devices for critical communications may experience significant business disruption when attackers exploit this vulnerability to cause device reboots or service outages. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can target these devices from external networks without requiring physical access or local network presence, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations with limited network segmentation. Security incidents involving this vulnerability often result in extended downtime for video conferencing infrastructure, requiring system administrators to perform emergency device resets or firmware updates to restore service availability. The potential for arbitrary code execution increases the risk profile significantly, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to install persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive meeting data, or use the compromised devices as launching points for further attacks within the network.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-3947 should prioritize immediate firmware updates from Tandberg/Cisco to address the underlying buffer overflow vulnerability in the FTP service implementation. Network administrators should implement strict access controls limiting FTP service exposure to trusted networks only, while also considering disabling the FTP service entirely if it is not essential for operations. Regular network monitoring should include detection of anomalous USER command patterns and unusual FTP traffic that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should deploy intrusion detection systems with signatures specifically targeting the vulnerable FTP command patterns and implement network segmentation to limit the blast radius of potential exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing host-based security controls such as application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized FTP service execution and establish incident response procedures for handling potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of regular security assessments for networked multimedia devices and the necessity of maintaining current firmware versions to protect against known vulnerabilities in enterprise infrastructure.