CVE-2012-0397 in SecurID
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in EMC RSA SecurID Software Token Converter before 2.6.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/21/2021
The CVE-2012-0397 vulnerability represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the EMC RSA SecurID Software Token Converter application, specifically affecting versions prior to 2.6.1. This vulnerability resides in the software token conversion process that handles security tokens used for two-factor authentication systems. The flaw manifests when the application processes certain input data without proper bounds checking, creating an exploitable condition that could be leveraged by remote attackers to compromise system integrity. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enabling arbitrary code execution, making it a severe concern for organizations relying on RSA SecurID authentication infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow occurs during the processing of token conversion requests where insufficient input validation allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that exceed the allocated buffer space. This condition typically arises when the application fails to properly validate the length or content of incoming data streams before copying them into fixed-size memory buffers. The flaw aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and potentially CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds writes in heap-based memory allocations. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted data packets that trigger the overflow, potentially overwriting adjacent memory locations including return addresses or function pointers, thereby enabling code execution control.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations utilizing RSA SecurID systems for critical access control and authentication purposes. The remote exploit capability means attackers do not require physical access or local system privileges to initiate the attack, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where such systems are exposed to external networks. The potential for denial of service operations could disrupt authentication services and compromise access to critical systems, while the arbitrary code execution capability could allow attackers to gain full control over affected systems or escalate privileges within the authentication infrastructure. This vulnerability directly impacts the CIA triad by potentially compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the authentication services.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to EMC RSA SecurID Software Token Converter version 2.6.1 or later, which includes proper input validation and bounds checking mechanisms. Security teams should implement network segmentation to limit exposure of affected systems and monitor for suspicious network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage. Additional mitigations include implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts, conducting thorough vulnerability assessments of related authentication infrastructure, and establishing incident response procedures specifically addressing authentication system compromises. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication layers and monitoring solutions to detect and prevent unauthorized access attempts targeting their RSA SecurID infrastructure.