CVE-2015-1923 in Tivoli Storage Manager Fastback
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the server in IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack 6.1 before 6.1.12 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1923 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within the server component of IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack version 6.1 prior to 6.1.12. This flaw exists in the daemon process responsible for managing storage backup operations and presents a significant security risk to organizations relying on this storage management solution. The buffer overflow occurs during normal processing of incoming network requests, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring local system access or authentication credentials. The vulnerability specifically affects the server daemon functionality that handles communication with client systems and backup operations, creating a potential attack vector that could disrupt critical data protection services.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the FastBack server component. When the daemon processes certain network packets or command sequences, it fails to properly bounds-check data buffers before copying incoming information into fixed-length memory structures. This classic programming error allows malicious actors to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially causing the daemon process to crash or behave unpredictably. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that multiple input paths could trigger this condition, including various backup commands, configuration parameters, or network communication protocols that the server accepts. This lack of specificity in the vulnerability description indicates that the flaw may be present in multiple code paths within the server implementation, making complete remediation challenging.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-1923 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise entire backup infrastructures. When the daemon crashes due to buffer overflow exploitation, it results in immediate denial of service for all backup operations managed by the affected FastBack server. This can lead to cascading failures where backup jobs fail, data protection schedules are disrupted, and organizations lose confidence in their storage management capabilities. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where FastBack is used for enterprise-level backup operations, as the crash of the server daemon would require manual intervention to restart services, potentially causing extended downtime. Organizations may experience data loss risks if backup operations cannot be performed due to the daemon crash, especially in scenarios where backup windows are tight and automatic operations are critical for business continuity.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, beginning with the deployment of IBM's official patch releases for FastBack 6.1.12 and subsequent versions. The recommended approach involves comprehensive system updates that include memory bounds checking improvements and input validation enhancements to prevent buffer overflow conditions. Security teams should also implement network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability can be triggered remotely without authentication. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network segmentation controls to limit access to FastBack server components and reduce the attack surface. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and may trigger ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and denial of service operations. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched systems to ensure that backup operations continue to function correctly while addressing the underlying memory management flaws that allowed the buffer overflow to occur in the first place.