CVE-2021-33597 in Atlant
Summary
by MITRE • 08/06/2021
A Denial-of-Service (DoS) vulnerability was discovered in F-Secure Atlant whereby the SAVAPI component used in certain F-Secure products can crash while scanning fuzzed files. The exploit can be triggered remotely by an attacker. A successful attack will result in Denial-of-Service (DoS) of the Anti-Virus engine.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-33597 represents a critical denial-of-service weakness within F-Secure Atlant's SAVAPI component, which forms a core element of several F-Secure security products. This flaw manifests during file scanning operations when the system encounters malformed or fuzzed input files that have been specifically crafted to exploit the software's parsing mechanisms. The vulnerability exists in the anti-virus engine's handling of input data, where insufficient validation and error handling lead to unexpected program termination.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through remote attack vectors, allowing malicious actors to trigger the crash condition without requiring physical access to the target system. When the SAVAPI component processes specially crafted files, it fails to properly handle malformed data structures or unexpected input patterns, causing the anti-virus engine to crash and become unresponsive. This behavior aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers buffer overflow vulnerabilities in heap data structures. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation practices that enable attackers to manipulate the program flow through carefully constructed malicious payloads.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can effectively disable the anti-virus engine's core functionality within F-Secure products. Organizations relying on these security solutions face potential exposure during the time when the engine is non-responsive, creating windows of vulnerability where malicious files could bypass protection mechanisms. The remote exploit capability significantly amplifies the risk, as attackers can initiate the DoS condition from external networks without requiring insider access or physical presence at the target location. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1499, which encompasses network denial-of-service attacks, and T1566, which covers credential harvesting and manipulation through social engineering.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-33597 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from F-Secure, as this represents the most effective solution to address the underlying code flaws. System administrators should implement network segmentation to limit exposure of vulnerable systems and monitor for unusual scanning activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include configuring intrusion detection systems to identify patterns associated with fuzzed file delivery and establishing robust backup procedures to ensure continued security coverage during potential service interruptions. Organizations should also consider implementing file reputation services and sandboxing mechanisms to reduce reliance on potentially vulnerable scanning engines while patches are being deployed.