CVE-2010-0109 in Altiris Deployment Solution
Summary
by MITRE
DBManager in Symantec Altiris Deployment Solution 6.9.x before DS 6.9 SP4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-0109 affects the DBManager component within Symantec Altiris Deployment Solution version 6.9.x prior to Service Pack 4. This critical flaw resides in the database management functionality that handles incoming requests from remote attackers. The issue manifests as a denial of service condition that can be triggered through the submission of specially crafted requests to the vulnerable system. The affected deployment solution represents a widely used enterprise-grade software platform for managing and deploying software across large networks of endpoints.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the DBManager module. When processing external requests, the system fails to properly sanitize or validate incoming data parameters, creating an opportunity for malicious actors to craft requests that exploit buffer handling mechanisms or memory management functions. This weakness allows attackers to send malformed data that causes the database manager service to crash or become unresponsive, effectively rendering the deployment solution unavailable to legitimate users. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no authentication to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such solutions are critical for operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-0109 extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass broader business continuity concerns. Organizations relying on Symantec Altiris Deployment Solution for software distribution, patch management, and endpoint configuration may experience significant downtime during exploitation attempts. This denial of service condition can affect critical IT operations including system updates, software deployments, and administrative tasks that depend on the availability of the deployment solution. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target systems from outside the network perimeter, potentially causing widespread disruption to IT infrastructure management processes. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability maps to CWE-121 which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability center on immediate patch application as the primary defense mechanism. Symantec released Service Pack 4 for the Altiris Deployment Solution that addresses this specific flaw through enhanced input validation and improved request handling procedures within the DBManager component. Organizations should prioritize deployment of this security update across all affected systems to eliminate the risk of exploitation. Additionally, network segmentation and firewall rules can be implemented to restrict access to the vulnerable service ports, though this represents a secondary mitigation approach. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual request patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular security updates and proper input validation practices in preventing remote code execution and denial of service conditions that can severely impact enterprise operations and IT service delivery capabilities.