CVE-2010-0929 in Server
Summary
by MITRE
The Perforce service (p4s.exe) in Perforce Server 2008.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) via crafted data beginning with a byte sequence of 0x4c, 0xb3, 0xff, 0xff, and 0xff.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-0929 affects the Perforce Server 2008.1 service implementation known as p4s.exe, which represents a critical denial of service weakness in the version control system's server component. This flaw specifically targets the service's handling of incoming data streams and demonstrates how improperly validated input can lead to complete service disruption. The vulnerability manifests when the service receives crafted data packets that begin with the specific byte sequence 0x4c, 0xb3, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, indicating a potential buffer overflow or memory corruption scenario within the server's data processing pipeline. The attack vector operates entirely over the network, allowing remote adversaries to exploit this weakness without requiring local system access or authentication credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the Perforce server's protocol handling code. When the p4s.exe service encounters the specific byte pattern 0x4c, 0xb3, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, the internal parsing logic fails to properly handle the data structure, leading to an uncontrolled crash of the daemon process. This behavior aligns with CWE-121, which categorizes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and potentially CWE-122, which covers stack-based buffer overflow scenarios. The vulnerability represents a classic example of how malformed protocol data can cause service termination, as the server's error handling mechanisms are insufficient to gracefully process unexpected input sequences. The specific byte sequence suggests that the attack may target memory management routines within the service's network protocol implementation, potentially causing memory corruption that results in immediate process termination.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can severely compromise the availability of version control services for organizations relying on Perforce Server 2008.1. When the daemon crashes, all ongoing version control operations cease, potentially causing significant delays in development workflows and code integration processes. System administrators must manually restart the service, which can result in temporary unavailability of source code management capabilities across development teams. The remote nature of the attack means that malicious actors can exploit this weakness from any network location without requiring physical access or legitimate credentials, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network security is not properly enforced. This vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and robust error handling in server applications, as the service fails to recover gracefully from malformed input data.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-0929 should focus on immediate patching of the Perforce Server 2008.1 installation to address the root cause of the vulnerability. Organizations should implement network-level restrictions to limit access to the Perforce service ports, particularly where the service is not required for external access. The implementation of intrusion detection systems can help identify and alert on the specific byte sequence associated with this attack pattern, enabling proactive response measures. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing process monitoring and automatic restart mechanisms for the p4s.exe service to minimize downtime when crashes occur. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with T1499.004 which covers network denial of service attacks, and T1566 which addresses social engineering techniques that might be used to deliver the malicious data. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure they can quickly address service disruptions caused by such vulnerabilities, while maintaining proper logging and monitoring of service health metrics to detect potential exploitation attempts.