CVE-2012-2277 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 (pvcontrol.exe process hang) via \n (line feed) characters in the Id fields of many "batch begin untethered" commands.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2277 affects EMC Documentum Information Rights Management server implementations across versions 4.x prior to 4.7.0100 and 5.x prior to 5.0.1030. This represents a significant security weakness within the Information Rights Management infrastructure that governs document access control and digital rights management. The vulnerability specifically targets the pvcontrol.exe process which serves as a critical component in managing document permissions and access controls within the Documentum ecosystem.
The technical flaw manifests when the IRM server processes batch commands containing line feed characters within the Id fields of "batch begin untethered" operations. This particular command structure is used to initiate batch processing operations that manage multiple document access permissions simultaneously. When malicious or malformed input containing line feed characters is injected into the Id field parameters, the pvcontrol.exe process becomes unresponsive and enters a state of hang. This process hang effectively prevents the server from processing legitimate requests and maintaining normal operational functionality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass broader system reliability and availability concerns. When the pvcontrol.exe process becomes unresponsive, it creates a cascading effect that can prevent legitimate users from accessing protected documents while simultaneously blocking system administrators from performing necessary maintenance operations. This denial of service condition can persist until manual intervention occurs, including process restarts or system reboots, which introduces operational downtime and potential data access delays. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic input validation weakness that allows attackers to manipulate server processes through carefully crafted command parameters.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input boundaries, and can be categorized under the ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for Network Denial of Service. The attack vector requires remote access to the Documentum server and the ability to submit specially formatted batch commands, making it particularly concerning for organizations that rely heavily on document management and access control systems. The vulnerability's exploitation potential increases when considering that Documentum systems often serve as central repositories for sensitive corporate and government information, making the denial of service impact more severe.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation controls that filter out line feed characters and other special characters from Id field parameters in batch commands. System administrators should also consider implementing process monitoring solutions that can detect and automatically restart hung pvcontrol.exe processes. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit who can submit batch commands to the IRM server. The most effective long-term solution involves upgrading to patched versions of EMC Documentum Information Rights Management where the input validation has been properly implemented to prevent such character injection attacks. Regular security assessments of Documentum systems should include testing for similar input validation vulnerabilities to ensure comprehensive protection against denial of service attacks.