CVE-2015-5237 in protobuf
Summary
by MITRE
protobuf allows remote authenticated attackers to cause a heap-based buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5237 resides within the protocol buffers implementation, specifically affecting how the system processes serialized data structures. This heap-based buffer overflow occurs when the protobuf library fails to properly validate input boundaries during deserialization operations, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote authenticated attackers. The flaw manifests in the parsing logic where insufficient bounds checking allows maliciously crafted data to overwrite adjacent memory regions within the heap allocation space.
This vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration framework as CWE-121, which categorizes heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient boundary checking permits memory corruption. The attack vector requires an authenticated user context, meaning that the attacker must already possess valid credentials or access privileges to the system or application utilizing the vulnerable protobuf implementation. The operational impact extends beyond simple memory corruption, as heap overflows can lead to arbitrary code execution, denial of service conditions, or information disclosure depending on the specific exploitation techniques employed by threat actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the protobuf deserialization process. When parsing structured data, the library does not sufficiently verify the length or content of serialized fields before attempting to copy data into allocated heap buffers. This allows attackers to craft payloads where the expected data size exceeds the allocated buffer capacity, resulting in overflow conditions that can corrupt adjacent heap metadata or executable code segments. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of the protobuf library and has been documented across various applications that utilize Google's protocol buffers for data serialization.
Attackers exploiting CVE-2015-5237 typically follow the standard attack pattern outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the technique T1059 for command execution and T1068 for exploit development. The exploitation process involves crafting malicious protobuf messages that trigger the buffer overflow condition, potentially leading to privilege escalation or complete system compromise. Organizations implementing protobuf-based communication protocols must consider this vulnerability as part of their security posture assessment, particularly in environments where authenticated access is granted to potentially malicious users. The remediation approach requires updating to patched versions of the protobuf library, implementing additional input validation layers, and deploying memory protection mechanisms such as address space layout randomization and stack canaries to mitigate potential exploitation success.
The broader implications of this vulnerability extend to enterprise security architectures that rely heavily on serialized data formats for inter-application communication and data exchange. Applications using protobuf for configuration management, network protocol implementation, or data storage systems may be at risk if they do not properly validate input data or maintain up-to-date library versions. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments across all systems utilizing protobuf implementations, particularly focusing on authentication mechanisms and access controls that could enable attackers to reach the vulnerable parsing functions. The remediation strategy should include not only patch management but also runtime monitoring and intrusion detection systems designed to identify anomalous protobuf parsing behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts.