CVE-2015-4934 in Tivoli Storage Manager Fastback
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in the server in IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack 6.1 before 6.1.12.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted packet, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-4931, CVE-2015-4932, CVE-2015-4933, and CVE-2015-4935.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-4934 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within the server component of IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack version 6.1 prior to 6.1.12.1. This security weakness resides in the network protocol handling mechanism that processes incoming packets from remote clients, creating an exploitable condition that could enable remote code execution. The flaw specifically manifests when the server receives a specially crafted packet that exceeds the allocated buffer space on the stack, leading to potential memory corruption and arbitrary code execution capabilities for remote attackers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper input validation and bounds checking within the server's packet processing routine. When the FastBack server receives network traffic, it attempts to parse and handle incoming data without adequate verification of packet size or content length against predefined buffer limits. This allows an attacker to craft malicious packets that deliberately exceed the allocated stack buffer space, causing a stack overflow condition. The overflow can overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses, function pointers, and other critical control data structures, enabling attackers to redirect program execution flow and inject malicious code.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations relying on IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack for backup and recovery operations. The remote exploit capability means attackers can potentially compromise systems without requiring local access or physical presence, making the attack surface particularly dangerous for enterprise environments. The vulnerability affects the core server functionality that manages backup operations, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to backup data, modify backup policies, or even take complete control of the storage management server. Organizations with extensive backup infrastructure using affected versions face heightened risk of data breaches and operational disruption.
The exploitability of CVE-2015-4934 aligns with CWE-121 stack-based buffer overflow classification and corresponds to techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 execution via scripting and T1068 local privilege escalation tactics. Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader threat landscape that includes related vulnerabilities such as CVE-2015-4931 through CVE-2015-4935, all of which demonstrate weaknesses in IBM's network protocol handling. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the vendor-provided security patches, network segmentation to limit access to the affected server, and monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.
The remediation approach for this vulnerability requires organizations to upgrade to IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack version 6.1.12.1 or later, which contains the necessary code modifications to prevent buffer overflow conditions. Additionally, network administrators should deploy intrusion detection systems that can identify malformed packets targeting this specific vulnerability, and consider implementing network access controls that restrict communication to only trusted sources. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure that similar buffer overflow conditions are not present in other components of the backup infrastructure, as the presence of one such vulnerability often indicates potential for similar issues throughout the system architecture.