CVE-2016-6115 in General Parallel File System
Summary
by MITRE
IBM General Parallel File System is vulnerable to a buffer overflow. A remote authenticated attacker could overflow a buffer and execute arbitrary code on the system with root privileges or cause the server to crash.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6115 affects IBM General Parallel File System, a distributed file system commonly used in high-performance computing environments. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that can be exploited by remote authenticated attackers to gain elevated privileges or disrupt system operations. The buffer overflow vulnerability exists within the file system's processing mechanisms, specifically when handling certain input data structures that exceed allocated memory boundaries. The affected system components typically process file operations and metadata management where insufficient input validation allows malicious data to overwrite adjacent memory regions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking during data processing within the parallel file system's core modules. When legitimate authenticated users submit specially crafted input parameters through file operations or system calls, the system fails to properly validate the size and content of incoming data buffers. This allows an attacker to overflow predetermined buffer allocations and potentially overwrite critical program execution data including return addresses, function pointers, or system variables. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited remotely, meaning attackers do not need physical access to the system and can leverage existing authenticated sessions to perform malicious operations.
From an operational impact perspective, successful exploitation of CVE-2016-6115 can result in complete system compromise with root privileges, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code with the highest level of system access. This level of privilege escalation allows malicious actors to modify or delete critical system files, install backdoors, establish persistent access, or exfiltrate sensitive data from the parallel file system environment. Additionally, the vulnerability can cause denial of service conditions where system crashes or application instability occur, potentially disrupting critical computing operations and data processing workflows that depend on the file system's availability.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation that can lead to privilege escalation attacks. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw maps to several ATT&CK tactics including privilege escalation through exploitation of software vulnerabilities, and defense evasion by potentially allowing attackers to modify system files or establish persistence mechanisms. Organizations utilizing IBM General Parallel File Systems should immediately implement mitigations including applying vendor patches, implementing network segmentation to limit access to authenticated users only, and monitoring for anomalous file system operations that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining updated security controls and conducting regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in distributed storage systems and other critical infrastructure components.