CVE-2019-4087 in Spectrum Protect
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Spectrum Protect Servers 7.1 and 8.1 and Storage Agents are vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow, caused by improper bounds checking by servers and storage agents in response to specifically crafted communication exchanges. By sending an overly long request, a remote attacker could overflow a buffer and execute arbitrary code on the system with instance id privileges or cause the server or storage agent to crash. IBM X-Force ID: 157510.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-4087 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within IBM Spectrum Protect Servers version 7.1 and 8.1, along with their associated Storage Agents. This security weakness stems from inadequate bounds checking mechanisms implemented in the communication protocols used by these systems. The flaw specifically manifests when servers and storage agents process incoming requests that exceed predetermined buffer limits, creating conditions where maliciously crafted data can overwrite adjacent memory locations on the stack. Such improper input validation creates a pathway for attackers to exploit the system through carefully constructed communication exchanges that deliberately exceed buffer capacity. The vulnerability affects both the server components and their corresponding storage agents, indicating a systemic issue within the IBM Spectrum Protect architecture that requires comprehensive remediation across all affected instances.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability enables remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution with privileges equivalent to the instance identifier running the vulnerable service. This privilege level typically provides significant system access capabilities, potentially allowing attackers to escalate their control over the protected environment. The buffer overflow occurs during the processing of specially crafted communication exchanges, where an attacker sends an overly long request that exceeds the allocated buffer space. When the system attempts to process this malformed input, the excess data overflows into adjacent memory regions, potentially overwriting return addresses, function pointers, or other critical control data structures. This memory corruption can lead to unpredictable system behavior, including application crashes, system instability, or most critically, the execution of attacker-controlled code within the target environment. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require local system access to initiate the attack, making it particularly dangerous for network-facing systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-4087 extends beyond simple system compromise, as it represents a fundamental security weakness that could enable complete system takeover. Organizations relying on IBM Spectrum Protect for data backup and recovery operations face significant risk when this vulnerability exists in their environment, as attackers could potentially access sensitive backup data or disrupt critical backup operations. The potential for system crashes and service disruption creates additional operational concerns, particularly in environments where continuous data protection is essential. The vulnerability's presence in both server and storage agent components means that attackers could compromise the entire backup infrastructure, potentially leading to data loss or the inability to perform critical recovery operations. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where backup systems are considered critical infrastructure components that must remain operational at all times.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including applying the relevant IBM security patches and updates to address the buffer overflow vulnerability. System administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of vulnerable systems to untrusted networks. Monitoring for suspicious communication patterns and implementing intrusion detection systems can help identify potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which classifies this as a critical weakness in software design that allows attackers to overwrite stack memory locations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving code injection and privilege escalation, potentially enabling adversaries to establish persistent access to backup infrastructure. Regular vulnerability assessments and security audits should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the backup and recovery infrastructure, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and bounds checking in security-critical applications.