CVE-2016-0869 in Promotic
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in MICROSYS PROMOTIC before 8.3.11 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service via a malformed HTML document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0869 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow flaw within the MICROSYS PROMOTIC software platform prior to version 8.3.11. This vulnerability exists in the HTML document processing functionality and affects remote authenticated users who can exploit it to trigger a denial of service condition. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and memory management practices when handling malformed HTML content, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by attackers with valid credentials to disrupt service availability. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and demonstrates a classic memory corruption issue that can lead to system instability and service interruption.
The technical flaw manifests when the PROMOTIC application processes HTML documents containing malformed or oversized data structures that exceed the allocated heap buffer boundaries. This heap-based overflow occurs during the parsing and rendering of HTML content, where the application fails to properly validate the size and structure of incoming HTML elements before attempting to store them in memory. The vulnerability is classified as a heap overflow because it specifically affects dynamically allocated memory regions in the heap space rather than stack-based buffers, making it particularly challenging to detect and exploit predictably. The flaw represents a weakness in the software's memory management and input sanitization mechanisms, allowing attackers to overwrite adjacent heap memory locations and potentially corrupt application state.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables authenticated remote attackers to cause significant denial of service conditions within the PROMOTIC environment. The attack requires minimal privileges since only authentication is needed to establish a connection and send malformed HTML content, making it particularly dangerous in environments where user access controls may be insufficient. The consequences extend beyond simple service interruption to potentially destabilizing the entire application platform, as heap corruption can lead to application crashes, memory leaks, or even arbitrary code execution in some scenarios. Organizations using PROMOTIC systems may experience operational disruptions, reduced system availability, and potential data integrity issues that can affect industrial control systems and automation platforms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-0869 should prioritize immediate software updates to version 8.3.11 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the heap buffer overflow vulnerability. Network administrators should implement strict input validation controls and consider deploying web application firewalls to filter malformed HTML content before it reaches the application layer. Access control measures should be strengthened to limit authentication privileges to only necessary users, reducing the attack surface for potential exploitation. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual HTML processing patterns and abnormal resource consumption that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 heap-based buffer overflow classification and represents a potential pathway for attackers to execute techniques from the attack chain involving privilege escalation and service disruption. Organizations should also consider implementing regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in their industrial control systems and automation platforms.