CVE-2017-12818 in HASP SRM
Summary
by MITRE
Stack overflow in custom XML-parser in Gemalto's HASP SRM, Sentinel HASP and Sentinel LDK products prior to Sentinel LDK RTE version 7.55 leads to remote denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12818 represents a critical stack overflow condition within the custom xml-parser implementation found in Gemalto's HASP SRM, Sentinel HASP, and Sentinel LDK product lines. This flaw exists in versions prior to Sentinel LDK RTE version 7.55 and specifically affects the processing of malformed xml data structures. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and bounds checking within the proprietary xml parsing engine that these security products utilize for configuration and communication purposes. The stack overflow occurs when the parser encounters specially crafted xml payloads that exceed predetermined buffer limits, causing the program to crash or behave unpredictably during xml processing operations.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability operates through a classic stack-based buffer overflow mechanism where the custom xml-parser does not properly validate the length of xml elements or attributes before copying them into fixed-size buffers allocated on the stack. The flaw falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, which represents a fundamental memory safety issue that has been a persistent concern in software security for decades. When an attacker sends a malicious xml payload containing oversized elements or nested structures, the parser's internal buffer management fails to handle the excess data gracefully, leading to memory corruption that results in application termination. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in security products because it can be exploited to disrupt legitimate security operations and potentially provide an attacker with a means to bypass security mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-12818 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions as it directly threatens the availability and integrity of security infrastructure. Organizations relying on Gemalto's Sentinel products for software protection and licensing management face significant risks when exposed to this vulnerability, as the remote exploitation capability means attackers can potentially disrupt critical systems without requiring physical access or local privileges. The vulnerability creates a remote attack surface that can be leveraged by threat actors to perform denial of service attacks against legitimate users of these security products. According to ATT&CK framework methodology, this vulnerability maps to technique T1499.004 for network denial of service and represents a critical weakness in the application layer security of the affected products. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where these products are used for protecting sensitive software assets, as the disruption can cascade to affect multiple systems and users simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate version upgrades to Sentinel LDK RTE version 7.55 or later, which contain patched xml-parser implementations that properly validate input data and implement appropriate buffer management techniques. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of affected systems to untrusted networks, while monitoring for suspicious xml traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and defensive programming practices, particularly in security-critical applications where input handling represents a primary attack surface. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their software supply chains to identify any other instances of similar custom parsers that might be susceptible to analogous flaws, as this vulnerability highlights the risks associated with proprietary parsing implementations that lack the rigorous security testing of widely-used standard libraries.