CVE-2011-2738 in Unified Service Monitor
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in Cisco Unified Service Monitor before 8.6, as used in Unified Operations Manager before 8.6 and CiscoWorks LAN Management Solution 3.x and 4.x before 4.1; and multiple EMC Ionix products including Application Connectivity Monitor (Ionix ACM) 2.3 and earlier, Adapter for Alcatel-Lucent 5620 SAM EMS (Ionix ASAM) 3.2.0.2 and earlier, IP Management Suite (Ionix IP) 8.1.1.1 and earlier, and other Ionix products; allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted packets to TCP port 9002, aka Bug IDs CSCtn42961 and CSCtn64922, related to a buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2025
Cisco Unified Service Monitor and related EMC Ionix products contain multiple unspecified vulnerabilities that affect versions prior to 8.6 for Cisco Unified Operations Manager and 4.1 for CiscoWorks LAN Management Solution. These vulnerabilities exist in the handling of network packets received on TCP port 9002 and are classified as buffer overflow flaws that can be exploited remotely by attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerabilities are catalogued under Bug IDs CSCtn42961 and CSCtn64922, indicating their severity and the need for immediate remediation. The buffer overflow occurs when the software processes malformed or crafted packets sent to the designated TCP port, allowing malicious actors to overwrite memory locations and potentially gain complete control over the affected systems. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory regions. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no authentication and can be executed from external networks, making it a critical threat to enterprise monitoring infrastructure. The impact extends beyond individual systems as these monitoring tools often serve as central points for network visibility and management, making successful exploitation potentially devastating for network operations and security posture. Organizations using affected versions of these products face significant risk of unauthorized access, data compromise, and potential lateral movement within their networks. The vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they affect both Cisco and EMC products, indicating a widespread issue that impacts multiple vendors' monitoring solutions. Attackers can leverage these flaws to establish persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive network information, or disrupt critical monitoring operations that are essential for maintaining network health and security. The lack of authentication requirements for exploitation makes these vulnerabilities particularly attractive to threat actors targeting enterprise infrastructure. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represents a critical weakness in the network monitoring stack that could go undetected for extended periods, allowing attackers to maintain access while conducting reconnaissance or launching additional attacks. The attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and control communication, as successful exploitation would enable attackers to execute arbitrary commands on compromised systems. Organizations should immediately implement network segmentation to restrict access to TCP port 9002, deploy network intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious traffic patterns, and apply the appropriate vendor patches as soon as they become available. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date monitoring infrastructure and highlights the need for comprehensive vulnerability management programs that cover all network monitoring and management tools. Without proper mitigation, these vulnerabilities could enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to critical network infrastructure and potentially compromise the entire network monitoring ecosystem. The technical nature of these flaws requires immediate attention from security teams and network administrators to assess their exposure and implement appropriate defensive measures. The widespread impact across multiple vendors and product lines underscores the importance of coordinated vulnerability response and the need for organizations to maintain comprehensive inventories of all monitoring and management tools within their network infrastructure.