CVE-2012-2276 in Documentum Information Rights Management
Summary
by MITRE
The IRM Server in EMC Documentum Information Rights Management 4.x before 4.7.0100 and 5.x before 5.0.1030 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and daemon crash) via input data that (1) lacks FIPS fields or (2) has an invalid version number.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2276 represents a critical denial of service weakness within the IRM Server component of EMC Documentum Information Rights Management software. This flaw exists in versions 4.x prior to 4.7.0100 and 5.x prior to 5.0.1030, making it a significant concern for organizations relying on this document management and information rights management platform. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the server's processing logic, specifically when handling FIPS compliance fields and version number verification.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through two distinct attack vectors that exploit the server's failure to properly validate incoming data. The first vector occurs when input data lacks required FIPS fields, causing the server to attempt dereferencing a null pointer during processing. The second vector involves input data containing invalid version numbers, which similarly triggers the same null pointer dereference condition. Both scenarios result in the IRM Server daemon crashing and subsequently becoming unavailable to legitimate users, effectively creating a denial of service condition that disrupts business operations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to organizations utilizing EMC Documentum Information Rights Management systems, particularly those in regulated industries where document access and rights management are critical. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this weakness from outside the network perimeter without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous. The daemon crash resulting from these attacks creates immediate service interruption, potentially affecting document access, workflow processes, and information rights management capabilities across the organization. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as it can compromise the integrity of document access controls and information governance policies.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-476, which specifically addresses NULL pointer dereference conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation that leads to system instability. The attack pattern follows ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and demonstrates how insufficient validation of external inputs can lead to system compromise. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches and updates, implementing network segmentation to limit access to the IRM Server, and deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious input patterns. Additionally, configuring input validation rules at network boundaries and implementing redundant services can help reduce the impact of potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of robust input validation practices and proper error handling in server-side applications, particularly in security-critical systems where availability is paramount to business operations.