CVE-2011-5280 in BOINC
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in BOINC 6.13.x allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a long trickle-up to (1) client/cs_trickle.cpp or (2) db/db_base.cpp.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-5280 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow issue affecting BOINC version 6.13.x, a distributed computing platform designed for scientific research projects. This flaw exists within the client component of the software, specifically in two key files: client/cs_trickle.cpp and db/db_base.cpp. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to properly check the length of data being processed during trickle-up operations, which are essential for communication between client nodes and the central server in distributed computing environments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when malicious actors send specially crafted data packets containing excessive data to the BOINC client application. The buffer overflow manifests in the stack memory area where the application attempts to store data beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, causing unpredictable memory corruption. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which is classified as a fundamental memory safety issue that has been consistently identified as a primary attack vector in cybersecurity assessments. The flaw allows remote attackers to exploit the application without requiring local system access or authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous in distributed computing environments where multiple nodes may be exposed to untrusted network traffic.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it can potentially lead to complete application crashes that disrupt ongoing scientific computations and research projects. When the buffer overflow occurs in client/cs_trickle.cpp, it affects the client's ability to communicate with the central server, causing the node to become unresponsive and potentially triggering cascading failures across distributed computing networks. The vulnerability in db/db_base.cpp presents additional risks as it affects database operations within the client, potentially corrupting local data storage and compromising the integrity of computational results. From an operational security perspective, this vulnerability directly impacts the availability and reliability of distributed computing resources, as demonstrated by the ATT&CK technique T1499.1 which targets the availability of systems through denial of service attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-5280 should prioritize immediate software updates to versions that address the buffer overflow conditions through proper input validation and bounds checking mechanisms. Organizations utilizing BOINC should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to untrusted network traffic, while also establishing monitoring protocols to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining robust input validation practices in distributed applications and underscores the need for regular security assessments of client-server communication protocols. Security teams should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify anomalous data patterns consistent with buffer overflow exploitation attempts, particularly in environments where distributed computing resources are exposed to public networks.