CVE-2013-2962 in WebSphere Transformation Extender
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the Launcher in IBM WebSphere Transformation Extender 8.4.x before 8.4.0.4 allows local users to cause a denial of service (process crash or Admin Console command-stream outage) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-2962 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Launcher component of IBM WebSphere Transformation Extender version 8.4.x prior to 8.4.0.4. This issue resides in the application's local execution environment where the Launcher process handles the initialization and management of transformation tasks. The buffer overflow occurs when the system processes input data that exceeds the allocated memory buffer size, creating a condition where adjacent memory locations become overwritten with unexpected data patterns. This fundamental memory management error stems from inadequate bounds checking mechanisms within the Launcher's input processing routines, allowing malicious or malformed input to trigger memory corruption that ultimately leads to system instability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability manifests through local user access conditions where an attacker with system-level privileges can manipulate the Launcher component to execute arbitrary code or cause unintended program termination. The vulnerability specifically impacts the process crash scenario where the memory corruption results in immediate application termination, or alternatively creates command-stream outages within the Admin Console that disrupt administrative operations. This dual nature of impact makes the vulnerability particularly concerning as it can simultaneously cause immediate service disruption and ongoing administrative interference. The flaw operates at the system level within the WebSphere Transformation Extender framework, affecting the core launcher functionality that governs how transformation processes are initiated and managed.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass potential system compromise and operational disruption. When the Launcher process crashes, it can interrupt ongoing data transformation workflows that are critical to business operations, particularly in enterprise environments where continuous data processing is essential. The Admin Console command-stream outage creates additional operational challenges as administrators lose the ability to manage and monitor transformation processes through standard administrative interfaces. This vulnerability affects organizations that rely on IBM WebSphere Transformation Extender for data integration and transformation tasks, potentially causing cascading effects throughout their data processing pipelines. The local user requirement means that exploitation typically requires system access, but once achieved, the impact can be severe as it affects the foundational components that manage application execution and administrative functions.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write operations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and denial of service, potentially enabling adversaries to disrupt services or establish persistent access through system-level manipulation. Organizations should implement immediate patch management protocols to address this vulnerability, ensuring all instances of WebSphere Transformation Extender 8.4.x are updated to version 8.4.0.4 or later. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation to limit local access to affected systems, monitoring for unusual process termination patterns, and establishing robust input validation controls within transformation workflows. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper memory management practices and input validation in enterprise middleware environments, particularly in systems handling critical data transformation processes. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other middleware components and ensure comprehensive protection against similar memory corruption vulnerabilities.