CVE-2020-36131 in AOM
Summary
by MITRE • 12/03/2021
AOM v2.0.1 was discovered to contain a stack buffer overflow via the component stats/rate_hist.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-36131 affects AOM version 2.0.1 and represents a critical stack buffer overflow condition within the stats/rate_hist.c component of the application. This flaw originates from improper bounds checking during the processing of rate histogram statistics, creating an exploitable condition that could allow attackers to overwrite adjacent stack memory locations. The vulnerability manifests when the application processes certain input data through the rate histogram calculation functions, where insufficient validation permits buffer overflows to occur. Such buffer overflows can result in arbitrary code execution, system instability, or denial of service conditions depending on the specific exploitation vector and target environment. The stack buffer overflow vulnerability directly maps to CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which is classified as a high-severity weakness in the CWE hierarchy and commonly appears in software systems that fail to properly validate input lengths before copying data into fixed-size buffers. This particular vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, as exploitation may involve crafting malicious input that triggers the buffer overflow during normal application operation. The affected component stats/rate_hist.c likely handles rate statistics calculations for various application metrics, making it a critical path for processing user or system data that could be manipulated to trigger the overflow condition. Attackers could potentially exploit this vulnerability by providing specially crafted input data that exceeds the allocated buffer size, causing stack corruption and potentially enabling privilege escalation or remote code execution. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple memory corruption as it represents a fundamental flaw in input validation and memory management practices within the application's codebase. Organizations using AOM v2.0.1 should consider immediate remediation through version updates or implementing compensating controls to prevent exploitation. The nature of stack buffer overflows makes them particularly dangerous because they can be reliably exploited across different platforms and architectures, making this vulnerability a significant concern for any system running the affected software version. Security practitioners should monitor for exploitation attempts and implement network-based detection measures to identify potential abuse of this vulnerability in production environments. The vulnerability demonstrates poor defensive programming practices and highlights the importance of implementing robust input validation mechanisms and memory safety checks throughout application development lifecycle processes.