CVE-2014-4807 in Sterling Selling And Fulfillment Foundation
Summary
by MITRE
Sterling Order Management in IBM Sterling Selling and Fulfillment Suite 9.3.0 before FP8 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a \0 character.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/02/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-4807 affects IBM Sterling Order Management within the Sterling Selling and Fulfillment Suite version 9.3.0 before fix pack 8. This issue represents a denial of service weakness that can be exploited by authenticated attackers who possess valid credentials to the system. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the system processes input containing a null character, which triggers excessive cpu consumption and ultimately leads to system unresponsiveness or complete denial of service.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the Sterling Order Management component. When a null character is introduced into the system through legitimate user authentication channels, the processing logic fails to properly handle this special character, causing the system to enter an inefficient processing loop. This behavior results in continuous cpu utilization that can escalate to consume nearly 100% of available processing resources, effectively rendering the service unavailable to legitimate users. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires authentication to exploit, making it less critical than remote code execution flaws but still significant for operational continuity.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability can severely disrupt order processing workflows and fulfillment operations within supply chain management systems. Organizations relying on Sterling Order Management for critical business processes may experience substantial downtime during exploitation, leading to delayed shipments, customer dissatisfaction, and potential financial losses. The attack vector requires only authenticated access, meaning that insiders or compromised accounts could leverage this weakness to disrupt operations. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning in high-volume transaction environments where system responsiveness is critical for maintaining business operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include applying the vendor-provided fix pack 8 for IBM Sterling Selling and Fulfillment Suite 9.3.0, which addresses the input validation issue through proper null character handling. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual cpu consumption patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit the potential impact by restricting unauthorized access to the affected system components. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses in other system components. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, Input Validation, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, Network Denial of Service, within the context of operational disruption attacks.