CVE-2017-15663 in Disk Pulse Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE
In Flexense Disk Pulse Enterprise v10.1.18, the Control Protocol suffers from a denial of service vulnerability. The attack vector is a crafted SERVER_GET_INFO packet sent to control port 9120.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-15663 resides within Flexense Disk Pulse Enterprise version 10.1.18, a network monitoring and management solution designed to track disk usage and system changes across enterprise environments. This particular weakness manifests in the application's control protocol implementation, specifically affecting the communication channel that operates on port 9120. The flaw represents a significant security concern as it allows remote attackers to disrupt the normal operation of the monitoring service without requiring authentication or privileged access. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple service disruption, potentially compromising the integrity of system monitoring capabilities that organizations rely upon for operational continuity and security posture management.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the deliberate crafting of a SERVER_GET_INFO packet that is transmitted to the designated control port 9120. This packet format appears to trigger a processing error within the application's protocol handler, causing the service to become unresponsive or terminate unexpectedly. The flaw likely stems from inadequate input validation or buffer handling within the control protocol implementation, where the application fails to properly sanitize or validate the incoming packet structure before processing. This type of vulnerability typically falls under CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, or CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios, though the specific implementation details would determine the exact classification. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires minimal privileges and can be executed remotely, making it an attractive target for adversaries seeking to disrupt enterprise operations.
The operational impact of this denial of service vulnerability extends far beyond a simple service interruption, as it directly affects the reliability and availability of disk monitoring capabilities that organizations depend upon for maintaining system health and detecting potential security incidents. When the control protocol becomes unresponsive, administrators lose the ability to query system information, monitor disk changes, or receive alerts about storage-related events, potentially creating blind spots in the organization's security infrastructure. This disruption can compound other security issues by preventing timely detection of unauthorized access attempts or malicious activities that might otherwise be flagged by the monitoring system. The vulnerability's presence in a commercial enterprise monitoring solution means that organizations may experience cascading effects where the loss of monitoring capabilities could delay incident response times and compromise overall security posture. From an att&ck framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the impact tactic, specifically targeting availability through denial of service mechanisms that align with techniques such as t1499.004 network denial of service and t1499.001 endpoint denial of service.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should begin with immediate application of vendor patches or updates that address the specific control protocol handling flaw. Organizations should implement network segmentation to restrict access to port 9120, limiting the attack surface by preventing unauthorized remote access to the control protocol interface. Network monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous packet patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, enabling proactive threat detection and response. Additionally, implementing firewall rules to restrict access to the control port from trusted sources only can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in the network infrastructure and ensure that monitoring solutions maintain proper input validation and error handling mechanisms. The remediation process should also include reviewing and updating incident response procedures to account for potential denial of service scenarios that could impact monitoring capabilities. Organizations should consider implementing redundant monitoring solutions or backup protocols to maintain operational visibility even when primary systems are under attack, ensuring that critical security information remains accessible during active exploitation attempts.