CVE-2015-7416 in i Access
Summary
by MITRE
AFP Workbench Viewer in IBM i Access 7.1 on Windows allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (viewer crash) via a crafted workbench file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7416 affects the AFP Workbench Viewer component within IBM i Access 7.1 running on Windows systems. This flaw represents a significant security concern as it enables remote attackers to execute a denial of service attack against targeted systems. The vulnerability specifically resides in how the AFP Workbench Viewer processes specially crafted workbench files, leading to unexpected application termination and system unavailability. The affected component is part of IBM i Access software suite which provides connectivity and access to IBM i systems from Windows environments, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on these connectivity solutions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and error handling within the AFP Workbench Viewer application. When the viewer encounters a malformed or specially crafted workbench file, the application fails to properly sanitize the input data before processing it. This lack of proper validation allows malicious actors to construct files that trigger buffer overflows, memory corruption, or other internal application errors that ultimately result in the viewer crashing and becoming unavailable to legitimate users. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios, though the specific implementation details suggest a more general input validation failure rather than a pure buffer overflow.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can affect business continuity and productivity within organizations that depend on IBM i Access for system connectivity. When the AFP Workbench Viewer crashes, users lose access to important workbench functionality and may be unable to perform critical tasks involving IBM i system interactions. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability without requiring physical access to the target systems, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments. Organizations may experience cascading effects as users report service disruptions, IT support teams investigate incidents, and business processes that rely on these connectivity tools are temporarily halted. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for attackers to conduct reconnaissance activities or potentially escalate their attacks if they can leverage the service disruption to gain additional system access.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on both immediate protective measures and long-term remediation approaches. Organizations should prioritize applying the vendor-provided patches and updates released by IBM to address the specific flaw in AFP Workbench Viewer. System administrators should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of affected systems to untrusted networks. Additionally, deploying intrusion detection systems and monitoring for unusual file access patterns or application crashes can help detect exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499 which covers network denial of service attacks, and organizations should consider implementing defensive measures such as application whitelisting to prevent execution of untrusted workbench files. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other components of the IBM i Access suite, as this vulnerability may indicate broader input validation weaknesses that require comprehensive remediation across the entire software stack.