CVE-2011-4873 in atvise
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the server in Certec EDV atvise before 2.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) via crafted requests to TCP port 4840.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/13/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4873 represents a critical security flaw in the Certec EDV atvise server software, specifically affecting versions prior to 2.1. This vulnerability resides within the server component of the atvise platform, which is widely utilized for industrial automation and SCADA systems. The affected system operates on TCP port 4840, which is commonly associated with OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) services, making this a particularly concerning issue for industrial control systems and operational technology environments. The vulnerability manifests as an unspecified weakness that enables remote attackers to execute a denial of service attack, causing the daemon process to crash and effectively rendering the system unavailable to legitimate users.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling mechanisms within the server's processing of incoming network requests. When remote attackers send crafted requests to the designated TCP port 4873, the server fails to properly validate or sanitize the incoming data, leading to a condition where malformed or specially constructed packets can trigger an unexpected termination of the daemon process. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which encompasses buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which addresses buffer overflows that can result in memory corruption. The root cause likely involves improper bounds checking or memory management within the server's request handling code, allowing attackers to exploit memory access violations that ultimately lead to process termination.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, particularly within industrial environments where continuous operation is critical. When the daemon crashes, it can result in complete system unavailability, potentially affecting production processes, monitoring capabilities, and overall operational continuity. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter, making it especially dangerous for systems that are not properly isolated. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability aspect of the CIA triad and can be classified under the ATT&CK technique T1499.1, which involves network denial of service attacks. Organizations relying on Certec EDV atvise systems for critical infrastructure operations face significant risk, as the crash can occur without any indication of compromise, making detection difficult and potentially allowing attackers to maintain persistent access while causing operational disruption.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of all affected Certec EDV atvise server installations to version 2.1 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to restrict access to TCP port 4840, limiting the attack surface and preventing unauthorized access to the vulnerable service. Organizations should also implement network monitoring solutions capable of detecting anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on unusual request patterns targeting port 4840. Additional protective measures include implementing intrusion detection systems with signature-based detection for known exploit patterns, deploying firewall rules to restrict access to the vulnerable port, and establishing regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other industrial control system components. The remediation process should also include comprehensive testing of the patched systems to ensure that the vulnerability has been properly addressed without introducing new operational issues in critical industrial environments.