CVE-2010-4055 in solidDB
Summary
by MITRE
Stack consumption vulnerability in solid.exe in IBM solidDB 6.5.0.3 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption and daemon crash) by connecting to TCP port 1315 and sending a packet with many integer fields, which trigger many recursive calls of a certain function.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4055 represents a critical stack consumption issue within IBM solidDB database software version 6.5.0.3 and earlier releases. This weakness exists in the solid.exe daemon process that listens on TCP port 1315, making it accessible to remote attackers who can exploit the flaw without requiring authentication. The vulnerability specifically targets the software's handling of integer fields within network packets, creating a scenario where malformed input can trigger excessive recursive function calls that rapidly consume system stack memory resources.
The technical flaw manifests when an attacker establishes a connection to the designated TCP port 1315 and transmits a specially crafted packet containing numerous integer fields. This particular packet structure causes the solid.exe process to execute a specific function recursively multiple times, with each recursive call consuming stack space. The vulnerability is classified as a stack-based buffer overflow condition that leads to stack exhaustion rather than traditional heap overflow scenarios. The recursive nature of the flaw amplifies the memory consumption effect, where each function call adds to the call stack depth, eventually exhausting available stack memory and causing the daemon process to crash.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it can severely disrupt database operations and compromise system availability. When the solid.exe daemon crashes due to stack exhaustion, all database connections are terminated and the service becomes unavailable to legitimate users. The memory consumption aspect of this vulnerability means that even if the daemon recovers, the system may experience degraded performance due to the extensive memory usage patterns. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-674, which specifically addresses Uncontrolled Recursion, and represents a classic example of a resource exhaustion attack that can be executed remotely without requiring privileged access.
From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers "Endpoint Denial of Service" through resource exhaustion. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires minimal prerequisites and can be executed by any remote user with access to the network port. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation and lacks proper recursion depth limits or stack usage monitoring, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking to disrupt database services. Organizations using affected IBM solidDB versions face significant risk of service disruption, potential data loss due to forced service restarts, and increased operational overhead from monitoring and mitigating the attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-4055 should include immediate patching of affected IBM solidDB installations to version 6.5.0.4 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the recursive call handling. Network-level defenses such as firewall rules that restrict access to TCP port 1315 can provide temporary protection while patches are deployed. Implementing proper input validation and recursion depth monitoring within the application layer can help detect and prevent malicious packet processing. Additionally, system administrators should monitor stack usage patterns and implement memory limits for daemon processes to prevent complete system exhaustion. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other database components and ensure comprehensive protection against similar stack consumption vulnerabilities that may exist in the broader software ecosystem.