CVE-2011-2144 in Datacap Taskmaster Capture
Summary
by MITRE
The eDocument Conversion Actions implementation in IBM Datacap Taskmaster Capture 8.0.1 FP1 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (batch abort) via a long subject line in an e-mail message that is represented in a .eml file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/29/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2144 resides within IBM Datacap Taskmaster Capture version 8.0.1 FP1 and earlier implementations, specifically targeting the eDocument Conversion Actions component. This flaw manifests when processing email messages contained within .eml files, where the system fails to properly handle excessively long subject lines, leading to a critical denial of service condition that results in batch abort operations. The vulnerability represents a classic buffer overflow scenario where input validation mechanisms are insufficient to handle malformed or unusually long input parameters, particularly within email metadata fields.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization within the email processing pipeline of IBM Datacap Taskmaster Capture. When an email message with an unusually long subject line is processed through the .eml file format, the system attempts to parse and store this information without proper bounds checking. This weakness aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-787, which addresses out-of-bounds write operations. The attack vector involves remote exploitation through email message submission, making it particularly dangerous in environments where automated email processing is common. The system's failure to implement proper input length validation creates an execution path where the buffer overflow condition triggers system instability and subsequent batch processing failures.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to document capture and processing workflows within enterprise environments that rely on IBM Datacap Taskmaster Capture. The denial of service condition can disrupt critical business processes, particularly in high-volume document processing scenarios where email-based document ingestion is prevalent. Batch abort operations can result in substantial data loss, processing delays, and system downtime that directly impacts productivity and service availability. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can potentially disrupt operations from external positions without requiring physical access to the system, making it an attractive target for malicious actors seeking to disrupt business operations. This type of vulnerability is categorized under ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and specifically targets the availability aspect of the CIA triad.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates for IBM Datacap Taskmaster Capture. Additionally, network-level filtering should be implemented to restrict email content processing, particularly focusing on subject line length validation. System administrators should consider implementing input validation rules that limit the maximum length of email subject lines processed by the system, and establish monitoring protocols to detect unusual processing patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The implementation of proper error handling and graceful degradation mechanisms can help minimize the impact of such attacks, while regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses within the broader system architecture. Organizations should also consider implementing email quarantine mechanisms for suspicious messages and establishing incident response procedures specifically designed to address denial of service conditions in document capture environments.