CVE-2011-1315 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
Memory leak in the messaging engine in IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) before 7.0.0.15 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via network connections associated with a NULL return value from a synchronous JMS receive call.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1315 represents a critical memory leak condition within IBM WebSphere Application Server messaging infrastructure. This flaw exists in versions prior to 7.0.0.15 and specifically affects the messaging engine component that handles JMS (Java Message Service) operations. The issue manifests when the system processes network connections that involve synchronous JMS receive calls, creating a scenario where the messaging engine fails to properly manage memory allocation and deallocation cycles.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of NULL return values from synchronous JMS receive operations within the messaging engine's connection management logic. When a JMS receive call returns NULL, the messaging engine does not adequately release the associated memory resources, leading to progressive memory consumption over time. This memory leak occurs in the context of network connections that are established and maintained for message processing, where each failed receive operation contributes to the accumulation of unreleased memory segments.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute a denial of service attack by establishing multiple network connections that trigger the problematic code path. The attacker does not need elevated privileges or specific authentication credentials to exploit this weakness, making it particularly dangerous in production environments. Each connection that encounters a NULL return value from a synchronous JMS receive call consumes additional memory without proper cleanup, eventually leading to system resource exhaustion and service unavailability.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple resource exhaustion, as it can compromise the overall stability and performance of the application server. As memory consumption increases, the system may experience degraded performance, application crashes, or complete service interruption. The memory leak affects the messaging engine's ability to handle concurrent connections effectively, potentially causing cascading failures that impact other services running on the same application server instance.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which categorizes memory leaks as a fundamental weakness in software design that leads to resource exhaustion. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with the ATT&CK technique T1499.004, specifically "Resource Exhaustion" targeting network services through memory consumption attacks. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected IBM WebSphere Application Server installations to address this vulnerability, as the memory leak can accumulate unnoticed over time until it reaches critical levels. The remediation process requires updating to IBM WebSphere Application Server version 7.0.0.15 or later, which includes proper memory management fixes for the messaging engine's JMS receive operations.