CVE-2012-3420 in Performance Co-Pilot
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple memory leaks in Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) before 3.6.5 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption or daemon crash) via a large number of PDUs with (1) a crafted context number to the DoFetch function in pmcd/src/dofetch.c or (2) a negative type value to the __pmGetPDU function in libpcp/src/pdu.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-3420 affects Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) versions prior to 3.6.5, presenting a significant security risk through multiple memory leak conditions that can be exploited remotely to execute denial of service attacks. This vulnerability resides within the core communication protocols of PCP, specifically targeting the pmcd daemon and its underlying PDU (Protocol Data Unit) handling mechanisms. The flaw manifests through two distinct attack vectors that exploit improper input validation and memory management within the performance monitoring infrastructure, creating conditions where attackers can consume excessive system resources or trigger daemon crashes through carefully crafted network requests.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves two primary attack scenarios that leverage different components of the PCP architecture. The first vector targets the DoFetch function located in pmcd/src/dofetch.c, where attackers can submit PDUs containing crafted context numbers that cause memory leaks during processing. This specific flaw falls under CWE-401, which addresses improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation, specifically the failure to properly manage memory resources leading to leaks. The second vulnerability occurs within the __pmGetPDU function in libpcp/src/pdu.c, where negative type values can trigger memory consumption issues through the same fundamental problem of inadequate input validation and resource management. Both scenarios demonstrate the classic pattern of insufficient bounds checking and memory handling that enables attackers to exhaust system resources through repeated malicious requests.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-3420 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise entire performance monitoring infrastructures within affected systems. When exploited, these memory leaks can cause progressive memory consumption that gradually depletes available system resources, ultimately leading to daemon crashes and complete service unavailability. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where PCP is used for critical system monitoring, as it can be leveraged to create sustained denial of service conditions that may go unnoticed until significant system degradation occurs. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries need not have physical access to target systems, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for networked environments where PCP daemons are exposed to untrusted network traffic.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks through resource exhaustion. The memory leak conditions create a scenario where attackers can systematically consume system resources without requiring elevated privileges or complex attack chains. Organizations using PCP for system monitoring, especially those with distributed monitoring architectures, face significant risk from this vulnerability as it can be exploited from remote locations to disrupt critical monitoring services. The vulnerability's impact is further amplified by the fact that PCP is commonly deployed in production environments where continuous monitoring is essential, making any denial of service attack particularly disruptive to system administration and operational activities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-3420 primarily focus on upgrading to PCP version 3.6.5 or later, which includes patches addressing the memory leak conditions in both the DoFetch and __pmGetPDU functions. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of PCP daemons to untrusted networks, reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries. System administrators should also implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual memory consumption patterns or daemon restarts that may indicate exploitation attempts. The fix implemented in PCP 3.6.5 addresses the root cause by properly validating input parameters and ensuring that memory allocated for PDU processing is correctly freed even when malformed data is received, thereby preventing the accumulation of memory leaks that could lead to system instability or resource exhaustion.