CVE-2017-14980 in Sync Breeze Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Sync Breeze Enterprise 10.0.28 allows remote attackers to have unspecified impact via a long username parameter to /login.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14980 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within Sync Breeze Enterprise version 10.0.28, specifically affecting the authentication mechanism of the application. This issue manifests when the system processes a malformed username parameter sent to the /login endpoint, creating an exploitable condition that remote attackers can leverage to compromise the affected system. The vulnerability falls under the category of input validation failures, where insufficient bounds checking allows malicious data to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The technical nature of this flaw stems from improper handling of user-supplied input within the authentication subsystem, where the application fails to adequately validate the length of the username parameter before processing it. When an attacker submits a username exceeding the allocated buffer size, the excess data overflows into adjacent memory regions, potentially corrupting program execution flow or injecting malicious code. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of insecure input handling that violates fundamental security principles. The impact of such a flaw can be severe as it provides attackers with potential pathways to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application, typically resulting in complete system compromise.
Operationally, this vulnerability creates significant risks for organizations utilizing Sync Breeze Enterprise, as it enables remote code execution without requiring authentication. Attackers can exploit this weakness from any network location to gain unauthorized access to systems running the vulnerable software, potentially leading to data theft, system manipulation, or further network infiltration. The remote exploitability aspect means that defenders cannot rely on network segmentation or physical security measures to protect against this particular threat, as the vulnerability exists at the application layer and can be triggered through standard network communication protocols. Organizations may experience service disruption, data breaches, and compliance violations if this vulnerability remains unpatched, particularly in environments where the software is exposed to untrusted networks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-14980 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected Sync Breeze Enterprise version to the latest available release that addresses the buffer overflow condition. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the affected system, deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious login attempts, and consider implementing additional authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication to reduce the attack surface. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other instances of similar buffer overflow conditions within their environment, as this vulnerability type often indicates broader architectural security issues. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the patched software to ensure that the fix does not introduce regressions while maintaining the application's intended functionality and performance standards.