CVE-2018-0644 in Orca
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Ubuntu14.04 ORCA (Online Receipt Computer Advantage) 4.8.0 (panda-client2) 1:1.4.9+p41-u4jma1 and earlier, Ubuntu14.04 ORCA (Online Receipt Computer Advantage) 5.0.0 (panda-client2) 1:2.0.0+p48-u4jma1 and earlier, and Ubuntu16.04 ORCA (Online Receipt Computer Advantage) 5.0.0 (panda-client2) 1:2.0.0+p48-u5jma1 and earlier allows authenticated attackers to cause denial-of-service (DoS) condition via unspecified vectors.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/21/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0644 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within the ORCA (Online Receipt Computer Advantage) client software ecosystem, specifically affecting multiple versions across different Ubuntu operating system releases. This vulnerability resides within the panda-client2 component of the ORCA suite, which serves as a client application for processing receipt data and managing transactional information in enterprise environments. The affected versions include ORCA 4.8.0 on Ubuntu 14.04 with panda-client2 versions up to 1:1.4.9+p41-u4jma1, ORCA 5.0.0 on Ubuntu 14.04 with panda-client2 versions up to 1:2.0.0+p48-u4jma1, and ORCA 5.0.0 on Ubuntu 16.04 with panda-client2 versions up to 1:2.0.0+p48-u5jma1. The buffer overflow condition manifests when authenticated attackers exploit unspecified vectors within the application's input processing mechanisms, potentially leading to system instability and service disruption.
The technical flaw underlying CVE-2018-0644 stems from improper bounds checking within the memory management routines of the ORCA client application. When processing certain input data streams, the application fails to validate the size of incoming buffers before copying data into fixed-size memory locations, creating a classic buffer overflow scenario. This condition allows an attacker who has already established authentication credentials to manipulate memory layout and potentially execute arbitrary code or cause the application to crash. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-121: Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which represents a well-documented weakness in software development practices where insufficient input validation leads to memory corruption. The attack vector requires authentication, meaning that unauthorized access alone is insufficient to exploit the vulnerability, but once authenticated, an attacker can leverage this weakness to disrupt service availability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial-of-service conditions, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and availability of the ORCA client infrastructure. Organizations relying on this system for receipt processing and transaction management face significant risks including potential data loss, service interruptions, and operational downtime that can affect business continuity. The authenticated nature of the attack means that insider threats or compromised accounts pose a particular risk, as attackers with legitimate access can exploit this weakness without requiring additional reconnaissance or privilege escalation. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, specifically targeting the availability of services through denial-of-service attacks, and represents a significant risk to enterprise environments where ORCA clients are deployed for critical business operations. The vulnerability affects systems where receipt processing is automated and where the client application maintains persistent connections to backend services, potentially creating cascading failures throughout the enterprise infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-0644 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems, with administrators implementing the vendor-provided security updates as soon as possible. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit the potential impact of authenticated attacks, particularly in environments where multiple users have access to the ORCA client application. Access controls should be reviewed and strengthened to ensure that only authorized personnel have the necessary privileges to interact with the system, and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation, particularly in applications that process untrusted data from authenticated users. Additionally, organizations should implement regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar weaknesses in their broader software ecosystem, as buffer overflow vulnerabilities often indicate broader architectural issues that may affect other components of the system infrastructure.