CVE-2017-12420 in Clustered Data ONTAP
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in the SMB implementation in NetApp Clustered Data ONTAP before 8.3.2P8 and 9.0 before P2 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12420 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow within the Server Message Block implementation of NetApp Clustered Data ONTAP systems. This flaw exists in versions prior to 8.3.2P8 and 9.0 P2, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on NetApp storage solutions. The vulnerability specifically affects the SMB protocol handling mechanisms within the clustered data ONTAP environment, which is widely deployed in enterprise storage infrastructures for file sharing and data management operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking within the SMB implementation code where heap memory allocation occurs without adequate validation of input data lengths. When authenticated remote users send specially crafted SMB requests to the affected NetApp systems, the implementation fails to properly validate the size of incoming data structures, leading to memory corruption. This heap-based buffer overflow can be exploited to either crash the SMB service resulting in denial of service conditions or potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected service account. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it requires only authenticated access, meaning that users with legitimate credentials can leverage this flaw without needing elevated privileges.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to enterprise environments where NetApp Clustered Data ONTAP serves as a critical storage infrastructure component. The ability to cause denial of service means that legitimate business operations could be disrupted through simple exploitation, potentially affecting thousands of users who rely on shared file systems and network storage resources. When considering the potential for arbitrary code execution, the threat landscape expands significantly as attackers could gain persistent access to storage environments, potentially leading to data exfiltration, modification of critical storage configurations, or use of the compromised systems as launch points for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability affects organizations across various sectors including finance, healthcare, government, and technology companies that depend on robust storage infrastructure.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the vendor-provided patches for versions 8.3.2P8 and 9.0 P2, which address the heap overflow conditions through proper input validation and memory management practices. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of affected systems to only necessary authenticated users. Monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous SMB traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 heap-based buffer overflow categories and represents a significant threat under the ATT&CK framework's execution and persistence tactics, particularly when considering the potential for privilege escalation and long-term access to storage environments. Security teams should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and block suspicious SMB protocol patterns associated with this specific vulnerability class.