CVE-2017-9283 in VisiBroker
Summary
by MITRE
An out-of-bounds read (CWE-125) vulnerability exists in Micro Focus VisiBroker 8.5. The feasibility of leveraging this vulnerability for further attacks was not assessed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/18/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9283 represents a critical out-of-bounds read flaw classified under CWE-125 within Micro Focus VisiBroker version 8.5. This middleware product facilitates distributed computing operations and object request brokering across enterprise environments. The out-of-bounds read vulnerability occurs when the software attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries during normal processing operations. Such flaws typically arise from inadequate input validation or improper boundary checking mechanisms within the application's memory management routines. The vulnerability specifically affects the VisiBroker component responsible for handling distributed object requests and message processing within the enterprise middleware infrastructure.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking during data processing operations within the VisiBroker middleware. When processing incoming requests or messages, the system fails to properly validate the length or boundaries of input data before attempting memory access operations. This allows an attacker to craft malicious input that triggers memory access beyond the intended buffer limits, potentially leading to information disclosure, application instability, or system crashes. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where VisiBroker serves as a critical component for distributed application communication and object mediation. The lack of assessment regarding exploitation feasibility does not diminish the inherent risk, as out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities commonly provide attackers with opportunities for information leakage that can facilitate more sophisticated attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise security infrastructure relying on Micro Focus VisiBroker 8.5. The potential for information disclosure through memory access violations could expose sensitive data such as internal memory structures, stack contents, or other system information that might aid in developing additional attack vectors. Organizations utilizing this middleware for critical business applications face potential disruption to their distributed computing environments, as the vulnerability could cause application instability or service interruptions. The impact extends beyond immediate system availability concerns to include potential data integrity risks where attackers might exploit the information disclosure to understand system internals and develop more targeted attacks. The vulnerability's presence in a widely used enterprise middleware solution increases the attack surface for organizations that depend on distributed object communication patterns.
Security mitigations for CVE-2017-9283 should prioritize immediate patching of affected VisiBroker installations through official Micro Focus security updates. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of vulnerable middleware components to untrusted networks. Monitoring and logging of middleware communications should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The implementation of input validation controls and boundary checking mechanisms within application layers that interact with VisiBroker can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected software within their infrastructure and prioritize remediation based on risk exposure levels. Regular security testing and code review processes should be enhanced to identify similar memory safety issues in other enterprise middleware components. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, highlighting the potential for further compromise through information disclosure and system instability exploitation.