CVE-2017-1000437 in Gravity
Summary
by MITRE
Creolabs Gravity 1.0 contains a stack based buffer overflow in the operator_string_add function, resulting in remote code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1000437 affects Creolabs Gravity 1.0, a content management system that processes user input through its operator_string_add function. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that can be exploited by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management within the application's string manipulation routines, creating an exploitable condition that allows attackers to overwrite stack memory contents.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow occurs within the operator_string_add function where user-supplied data is concatenated without adequate bounds checking. When the application processes string operations, it fails to validate the length of input data against the allocated buffer size, enabling attackers to supply excessive input that overflows the stack buffer. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows adjacent memory locations to be overwritten. The overflow can be specifically classified as a stack-based buffer overflow due to the nature of the memory corruption occurring in the program's stack space.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations utilizing Creolabs Gravity 1.0. Remote code execution capabilities allow attackers to gain complete control over affected systems, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, and further lateral movement within network environments. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to install malware, establish backdoors, or exfiltrate sensitive information without requiring local system access. The remote nature of the exploitation means that attackers can target vulnerable systems from anywhere on the internet, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for publicly exposed web applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-1000437 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected Creolabs Gravity 1.0 software to address the buffer overflow condition in the operator_string_add function. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit exposure of vulnerable systems and deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. Input validation measures should be strengthened to prevent malformed data from reaching the vulnerable function, while application firewalls can help filter suspicious requests. Additionally, the principle of least privilege should be enforced to limit the potential damage from successful exploitation, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application stack. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, highlighting the comprehensive attack surface this vulnerability exposes.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management and input validation in software development practices, particularly for applications handling user-supplied data. The flaw represents a classic example of how insufficient bounds checking in string manipulation functions can lead to severe security consequences, emphasizing the need for robust code review processes and security testing throughout the software development lifecycle. Organizations should consider implementing automated code analysis tools to detect similar buffer overflow conditions in their codebases and establish secure coding standards that prevent such vulnerabilities from being introduced in the first place.