CVE-2012-3012 in Power Sentinel 1133a
Summary
by MITRE
The Arbiter Power Sentinel 1133A device with firmware before 11Jun2012 Rev 421 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (Ethernet outage) via unspecified Ethernet traffic that fills a buffer, as demonstrated by a port scan.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2018
The Arbiter Power Sentinel 1133A is a networked power distribution unit designed for monitoring and controlling electrical power in data centers and enterprise environments. This device operates as a critical infrastructure component that manages power resources while providing network connectivity for remote administration and monitoring. The vulnerability exists within the device's Ethernet interface processing capabilities, specifically in how it handles incoming network traffic. The firmware version prior to 11Jun2012 Rev 421 contains a buffer handling flaw that manifests when the device receives specially crafted Ethernet packets that exceed the allocated buffer space. This vulnerability falls under the category of buffer overflow conditions that can be exploited remotely without authentication, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where unauthorized access is a concern.
The technical flaw manifests when the device's Ethernet processing engine encounters network traffic that fills a predetermined buffer, causing the system to become unresponsive and resulting in complete Ethernet outage. The vulnerability is triggered by unspecified Ethernet traffic patterns that force the device to allocate memory beyond its intended capacity, effectively consuming all available buffer resources. This type of attack can be initiated through simple port scanning techniques or more sophisticated traffic generation methods that systematically fill the buffer space. The device's failure handling mechanism does not properly manage buffer overflow conditions, leading to a complete system freeze that requires manual intervention to restore network connectivity. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which addresses heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. The flaw represents a critical design oversight in the device's network protocol handling capabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it can compromise the availability of critical power management functions within data center environments. When the Ethernet interface becomes unavailable, administrators lose the ability to remotely monitor and control power distribution, potentially leading to cascading failures in critical infrastructure systems. The vulnerability can be exploited by any remote attacker with network access to the device, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network segmentation is insufficient. The device's inability to recover automatically from buffer overflow conditions means that network outages can persist until manual intervention occurs, potentially resulting in extended downtime for power-critical systems. Organizations relying on this device for power management may face significant operational disruptions, especially during peak usage periods when power monitoring and control are most critical. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks targeting network infrastructure devices.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate firmware updates to version 11Jun2012 Rev 421 or later, which contain patches addressing the buffer handling flaw. Network administrators should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the device to untrusted networks, reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries. Additionally, implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous traffic patterns or buffer overflow attempts provides early warning capabilities. The device should be configured with minimal required network services and access ports to reduce potential attack vectors. Regular network scanning and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify any other potentially affected devices within the infrastructure. Organizations should also consider implementing redundant power management systems to ensure continued operation even if a single device becomes unavailable due to this vulnerability. Network administrators should establish procedures for rapid response to network outages and maintain detailed documentation of device configurations and network topology to facilitate quick recovery operations.