CVE-2010-2060 in beanstalkd
Summary
by MITRE
The put command functionality in beanstalkd 1.4.5 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary Beanstalk commands via the body in a job that is too big, which is not properly handled by the dispatch_cmd function in prot.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2060 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within the beanstalkd distributed job queue system version 1.4.5 and earlier. This flaw resides in the command processing logic where the put command functionality fails to properly validate job body sizes, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands. The vulnerability specifically affects the dispatch_cmd function located in the prot.c source file, which serves as the primary command dispatcher for the beanstalkd daemon.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the job processing pipeline. When a client submits a job with an excessively large body through the put command, the system's memory allocation and handling routines become compromised due to improper bounds checking. This memory corruption occurs because the dispatch_cmd function does not adequately verify the size of incoming job data before attempting to process it, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that exceed the expected buffer limits and overwrite adjacent memory regions. The flaw manifests as a classic stack-based buffer overflow condition that can be exploited to overwrite return addresses and execute arbitrary code within the context of the beanstalkd process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple command execution, as it provides attackers with potential privilege escalation capabilities and persistent access to systems running vulnerable beanstalkd instances. Since beanstalkd typically runs with elevated privileges to manage job queues and process scheduling, successful exploitation could allow remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to critical system resources, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects systems where beanstalkd is deployed in production environments, particularly those that accept untrusted job submissions from external clients or networks without proper access controls.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-2060 should prioritize immediate patching of affected beanstalkd versions to 1.4.6 or later, which includes proper bounds checking and input validation for job body sizes. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of beanstalkd instances to trusted networks only, reducing the attack surface available to potential remote attackers. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous job submission patterns and excessive body sizes that may indicate exploitation attempts. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 and CWE-122 categories related to stack-based buffer overflows and heap-based buffer overflows respectively, while also mapping to ATT&CK techniques involving command and control communication and privilege escalation through software exploitation. Security teams should also consider implementing runtime protections such as address space layout randomization and stack canaries to provide additional defense-in-depth measures against potential exploitation attempts.