CVE-2012-3418 in Performance Co-Pilot
Summary
by MITRE
libpcp in Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) before 3.6.5 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via (1) a PDU with the numcreds field value greater than the number of actual elements to the __pmDecodeCreds function in p_creds.c; (2) the string byte number value to the __pmDecodeNameList function in p_pmns.c; (3) the numids value to the __pmDecodeIDList function in p_pmns.c; (4) unspecified vectors to the __pmDecodeProfile function in p_profile.c; the (5) status number value or (6) string number value to the __pmDecodeNameList function in p_pmns.c; (7) certain input to the __pmDecodeResult function in p_result.c; (8) the name length field (namelen) to the DecodeNameReq function in p_pmns.c; (9) a crafted PDU_FETCH request to the __pmDecodeFetch function in p_fetch.c; (10) the namelen field in the __pmDecodeInstanceReq function in p_instance.c; (11) the buflen field to the __pmDecodeText function in p_text.c; (12) PDU_INSTANCE packets to the __pmDecodeInstance in p_instance.c; or the (13) c_numpmid or (14) v_numval fields to the __pmDecodeLogControl function in p_lcontrol.c, which triggers integer overflows, heap-based buffer overflows, and/or buffer over-reads.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2021
The CVE-2012-3418 vulnerability affects the Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) library version 3.6.4 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that can lead to remote code execution and denial of service conditions. This vulnerability resides within the libpcp component of PCP, which is designed to provide performance monitoring and data collection capabilities across distributed systems. The flaw manifests through multiple functions that process incoming Protocol Data Units (PDUs) from network communications, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through network-based attacks without requiring local system access. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper handling of integer values during PDU processing, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory operations through crafted malicious input.
The technical exploitation occurs through several distinct code paths that all share a common underlying issue of integer overflow and buffer manipulation. When processing PDUs, functions such as __pmDecodeCreds, __pmDecodeNameList, __pmDecodeIDList, and __pmDecodeProfile fail to properly validate input parameters including numcreds, string byte numbers, numids, status numbers, and namelen fields. These functions perform operations where integer values are used to determine buffer sizes or iteration counts, allowing attackers to craft inputs that cause arithmetic overflow conditions. When integer overflows occur, they can result in heap-based buffer overflows where memory allocations become insufficient to handle the requested data, or buffer over-reads where programs access memory beyond allocated boundaries. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can trigger these conditions through multiple entry points, increasing the attack surface and making exploitation more likely.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enable remote code execution on systems running affected PCP versions. Attackers can leverage these flaws to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the PCP daemon process, which typically runs with elevated permissions to collect system performance data. This creates a significant risk for enterprise environments where PCP is deployed for monitoring critical infrastructure, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to system resources, manipulate performance data, or use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks. The vulnerability affects the core communication protocols used by PCP, making it particularly dangerous in environments where performance monitoring is critical and systems are interconnected through PCP networks. The integer overflow conditions can also lead to system instability, causing crashes or unexpected behavior in performance monitoring systems that could mask other security issues or create denial of service conditions for legitimate users.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-3418 should prioritize immediate patching of affected PCP installations to version 3.6.5 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the integer overflow and buffer handling issues. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of PCP services to untrusted networks, particularly focusing on the ports used by PCP daemons such as port 44321 and related communication channels. Input validation should be enhanced at network boundaries using firewalls and intrusion detection systems to filter out malformed PDUs that could trigger the vulnerable functions. System administrators should also implement monitoring for unusual network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and consider disabling unnecessary PCP services if full functionality is not required. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of array index values, and CWE-190, which covers integer overflow conditions, while also mapping to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and remote code execution through software vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar issues in other performance monitoring or system management tools that might be vulnerable to similar memory corruption flaws.