CVE-2017-14089 in OfficeScan
Summary
by MITRE
An Unauthorized Memory Corruption vulnerability in Trend Micro OfficeScan 11.0 and XG may allow remote unauthenticated users who can access the OfficeScan server to target cgiShowClientAdm.exe and cause memory corruption issues.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/15/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14089 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Trend Micro OfficeScan versions 11.0 and XG that exposes remote attackers to potential system compromise. This issue specifically targets the cgiShowClientAdm.exe component, which serves as a critical interface for client administration functions within the OfficeScan server architecture. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and memory management practices within this particular executable module, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system through network-based attacks without requiring authentication credentials. The affected OfficeScan versions demonstrate a fundamental weakness in their security architecture that allows unauthorized users to manipulate memory structures through crafted requests to the vulnerable endpoint.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a specific attack vector that leverages the cgiShowClientAdm.exe interface to trigger memory corruption conditions. Attackers can send specially crafted HTTP requests containing malformed input parameters to the vulnerable endpoint, which then processes these inputs without adequate sanitization or bounds checking. This processing failure leads to memory corruption that can manifest as buffer overflows, heap corruption, or other memory management issues within the application's runtime environment. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of "Stack-based Buffer Overflow" and potentially CWE-122 for "Heap-based Buffer Overflow" as defined in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The attack chain typically involves sending malicious payloads through the web interface that the OfficeScan server exposes to manage client configurations, creating a direct path to system compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-14089 extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it provides attackers with potential remote code execution capabilities within the OfficeScan server environment. Once successfully exploited, this vulnerability allows unauthorized users to gain elevated privileges and potentially take complete control of the affected server. The OfficeScan server acts as a central management point for endpoint security policies across an organization, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could enable attackers to manipulate security configurations, deploy malicious code across multiple endpoints, or exfiltrate sensitive data. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter, potentially bypassing traditional network security controls. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1068 for "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" as it provides a mechanism for attackers to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary code on the compromised system.
Organizations running affected versions of Trend Micro OfficeScan should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves applying the official security patches released by Trend Micro to remediate the memory corruption issues within the cgiShowClientAdm.exe component. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to the OfficeScan server's administrative interfaces, limiting exposure to unauthorized users. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can help detect and block malicious requests targeting this specific vulnerability. Security monitoring should be enhanced to identify unusual patterns in administrative interface access and to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect critical infrastructure components. Organizations should also consider implementing network access controls to limit which systems can communicate with the OfficeScan server's administrative ports and interfaces, reducing the attack surface and mitigating the risk of exploitation through this and similar vulnerabilities.