CVE-2012-0406 in Data Protection Advisor
Summary
by MITRE
The DPA_Utilities.cProcessAuthenticationData function in EMC Data Protection Advisor (DPA) 5.5 through 5.8 SP1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and daemon crash) via an AUTHENTICATECONNECTION command that (1) lacks a password field or (2) has an empty password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0406 resides within EMC Data Protection Advisor version 5.5 through 5.8 SP1, specifically within the DPA_Utilities.cProcessAuthenticationData function. This flaw represents a classic null pointer dereference issue that can be exploited remotely to trigger a denial of service condition. The vulnerability manifests when processing AUTHENTICATECONNECTION commands that either lack a password field entirely or contain an empty password field, creating a scenario where the application fails to properly validate authentication parameters before attempting to process them. The function's inadequate input validation creates a path where uninitialized or null pointers are dereferenced during authentication processing, leading to application instability.
The technical execution of this vulnerability follows a predictable pattern where remote attackers can send specially crafted authentication commands to the DPA service. When the cProcessAuthenticationData function encounters an AUTHENTICATECONNECTION command without a password field or with an empty password, it attempts to access memory locations that have not been properly initialized, resulting in a null pointer dereference. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-476 which defines NULL Pointer Dereference as a condition where a null value is dereferenced, causing application crashes or unexpected behavior. The daemon crash occurs because the application cannot handle the unexpected null pointer access gracefully, leading to complete service interruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can be leveraged by attackers to create persistent denial of service conditions against critical data protection infrastructure. Organizations relying on EMC Data Protection Advisor for backup and recovery operations face significant risk when this vulnerability exists, as it can be exploited to render the entire data protection solution unavailable. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers do not require physical access or local privileges to cause disruption, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such services are accessible over network boundaries. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which covers Network Denial of Service, and represents a common vector for disrupting critical infrastructure services.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-0406 should prioritize immediate patch application from EMC, as this vulnerability has been addressed through official security updates. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to DPA services to trusted administrative networks only, reducing the attack surface available to potential remote exploit attempts. Input validation controls should be enhanced at the network level to filter out malformed AUTHENTICATECONNECTION commands before they reach the vulnerable application components. Additionally, monitoring and alerting should be implemented to detect unusual authentication patterns or service disruptions that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and error handling in security-critical applications, particularly those handling authentication mechanisms where malformed inputs can lead to complete system instability. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and block suspicious authentication command patterns that match the exploit criteria for this specific vulnerability.