CVE-2013-3055 in Markvision
Summary
by MITRE
Lexmark Markvision Enterprise before 1.8 provides a diagnostic interface on TCP port 9789, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code, change the configuration, or obtain sensitive fleet-management information via unspecified vectors.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-3055 affects Lexmark Markvision Enterprise software versions prior to 1.8, presenting a critical security flaw that exposes a diagnostic interface on TCP port 9789. This diagnostic interface represents a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to gain unauthorized access to networked printing environments. The vulnerability exists within the software's network service implementation, specifically in how it handles incoming connections and processes diagnostic requests. The exposed port serves as an entry point for malicious actors to interact with the system through a dedicated interface that was intended for legitimate administrative purposes but lacks proper authentication and authorization mechanisms.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of network communications through TCP port 9789, which operates as a diagnostic service within the Markvision Enterprise framework. This service allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems without requiring legitimate credentials or authentication. The unspecified vectors of attack suggest that multiple attack pathways exist through this diagnostic interface, potentially including buffer overflows, command injection, or other code execution vulnerabilities within the service implementation. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 Access Control, indicating insufficient access control mechanisms that permit unauthorized remote code execution. From an operational perspective, this flaw enables attackers to completely compromise the affected systems and gain full administrative control over the printing fleet, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple printers are managed through a centralized system.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-3055 extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to modify system configurations and access sensitive fleet management information. This vulnerability directly affects the security posture of enterprise printing environments, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate print jobs, alter printer settings, or extract confidential information about the organization's printing infrastructure. The exposure of fleet management data through this interface creates additional risks for organizations relying on centralized printer management systems, as attackers could gain insights into printer inventory, usage patterns, and administrative configurations. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, where adversaries leverage system interfaces to execute malicious code, and T1046 Network Service Scanning, as attackers would need to identify and probe the exposed TCP port 9789 to exploit this vulnerability.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate the affected systems, disabling the diagnostic interface if not required for operations, and applying the vendor-provided security patches. The recommended approach involves configuring network access controls to restrict access to TCP port 9789 to only trusted administrative systems and users. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual network activity on this port, as unauthorized access attempts would likely generate network traffic patterns that differ from legitimate administrative operations. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper network service configuration and access control implementation, particularly for services that are not actively used or are intended for internal administrative purposes only. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potentially exposed network services and ensure that all networked devices follow secure configuration practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future.