CVE-2010-3281 in OmniVista 4760 server
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in the HTTP proxy service in Alcatel-Lucent OmniVista 4760 server before R5.1.06.03.c_Patch3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (service crash) via a long request.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2018
The CVE-2010-3281 vulnerability represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within the HTTP proxy service of Alcatel-Lucent OmniVista 4760 server software. This vulnerability exists in versions prior to R5.1.06.03.c_Patch3 and presents a significant security risk to organizations utilizing this network management platform. The flaw specifically manifests in the HTTP proxy component that handles incoming requests, making it accessible to remote attackers without authentication requirements. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and boundary checking within the proxy service's request processing logic, allowing malicious actors to craft specially crafted HTTP requests that exceed the allocated buffer space on the stack.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker sends a malformed HTTP request containing an excessive amount of data to the vulnerable proxy service. The proxy service fails to properly validate the length of incoming request data before copying it into a fixed-size stack buffer, resulting in a buffer overflow condition. This overflow corrupts adjacent memory locations including the return address of the function executing the request handling code. The corrupted return address causes the application to jump to arbitrary memory locations, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the proxy service process. The vulnerability can also be leveraged to cause a denial of service condition by crashing the proxy service through stack corruption that leads to application termination.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to network infrastructure management systems that rely on Alcatel-Lucent OmniVista 4760 servers. Organizations using this platform for network monitoring, configuration management, and service provisioning face potential compromise of their entire network management infrastructure. The remote code execution capability allows attackers to gain persistent access to the management system, potentially enabling them to manipulate network configurations, steal sensitive information, or establish backdoor access points. The denial of service aspect further compounds the risk by potentially disrupting critical network management functions and service availability. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 stack-based buffer overflow classification and maps to attack techniques in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1059 for command and control execution and T1499 for network disruption.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability by applying the vendor-provided patch version R5.1.06.03.c_Patch3 or upgrading to a supported release that addresses the buffer overflow condition. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of the vulnerable proxy service to untrusted networks. Additionally, monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual HTTP request patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the affected software within their network infrastructure and ensure proper patch management processes are in place to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and memory safety practices in network services, particularly those handling untrusted data from external sources.