CVE-2010-1919 in Avamar
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in EMC Avamar 4.1.x and 5.0 before SP1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (gsan service hang) by sending a crafted message using TCP.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-1919 represents a significant security flaw within EMC Avamar backup software versions 4.1.x and 5.0 prior to Service Pack 1. This issue manifests as a remote denial of service condition that specifically targets the gsan service component of the Avamar system, creating a critical operational disruption for organizations relying on this data protection solution. The vulnerability operates through a carefully crafted TCP message that, when transmitted to the affected system, triggers a service hang condition that effectively renders the backup infrastructure unavailable to legitimate users and processes.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the gsan service implementation. When the service receives a malformed or specially constructed TCP packet, it fails to properly handle the unexpected data structure, leading to a state where the service becomes unresponsive and ceases to process legitimate backup operations. This represents a classic example of a buffer over-read or improper state handling vulnerability that falls under the CWE-129 category of improper input validation. The attack vector requires only network connectivity to the targeted Avamar system and does not necessitate authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by any remote attacker with network access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple service disruption, as Avamar systems typically serve as critical components in enterprise backup and recovery infrastructures. When the gsan service becomes unresponsive, it creates cascading effects throughout the organization's data protection ecosystem, potentially leading to extended downtime for backup operations, missed backup windows, and compromised disaster recovery capabilities. Organizations may experience significant business disruption as backup jobs fail to complete, system administrators must manually intervene to restart services, and the overall reliability of the backup infrastructure becomes questionable. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability aspect of the CIA triad and can be classified under ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-1919 should prioritize immediate implementation of the vendor-provided patches and service packs, specifically targeting EMC Avamar 5.0 SP1 or later versions where the vulnerability has been addressed. Network-level protections including firewall rules that restrict unnecessary TCP access to the Avamar system ports, intrusion detection system monitoring for suspicious TCP packet patterns, and regular network segmentation practices can provide additional defense layers. Organizations should also implement robust monitoring solutions that can detect service hang conditions and automatically alert administrators to potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process must include thorough testing of patched systems in non-production environments before deployment to ensure that the update does not introduce compatibility issues with existing backup workflows or configurations. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in the broader backup infrastructure ecosystem.