CVE-2021-39480 in Bingrep
Summary
by MITRE • 01/22/2022
Bingrep v0.8.5 was discovered to contain a memory allocation failure which can cause a Denial of Service (DoS).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/27/2022
Bingrep version 085 contains a critical memory allocation failure that fundamentally compromises system availability through a denial of service vulnerability. This flaw exists within the application's handling of memory resources during processing operations, where insufficient error checking or memory management controls allow the program to crash or become unresponsive when encountering specific input conditions. The vulnerability manifests when the software attempts to allocate memory blocks that exceed available system resources or when memory allocation requests fail silently without proper error handling mechanisms. Such failures typically occur during intensive data processing or when processing large datasets that require substantial memory allocation. The impact extends beyond simple application instability as this vulnerability can be exploited by malicious actors to systematically disrupt services, particularly affecting systems where bingrep is deployed as a core component of data analysis or network monitoring infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory management practices within the bingrep codebase, specifically in how it handles dynamic memory allocation requests during pattern matching operations. When the application processes input data, it likely performs multiple memory allocations without sufficient validation of allocation success or proper handling of allocation failures. This failure mode aligns with common software security weaknesses documented in CWE-704, which addresses improper handling of memory allocation failures in software systems. The vulnerability operates at the system level rather than at the application interface, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through normal operational usage patterns without requiring specialized exploitation techniques. The memory allocation failure typically occurs when the application attempts to allocate buffers or data structures that exceed available heap space or when memory fragmentation prevents successful allocation of requested memory blocks.
From an operational standpoint, this denial of service vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on bingrep for critical data processing tasks. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption to potentially affect business continuity and operational efficiency, particularly in environments where automated data analysis or network monitoring systems depend on consistent availability. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability by submitting carefully crafted inputs that force the application into memory allocation failure states, causing complete service disruption. The vulnerability's exploitation potential increases in environments where bingrep operates in high-throughput scenarios or where it serves as a component in larger automated workflows. System administrators may experience unexpected downtime and require significant troubleshooting efforts to identify and resolve the root cause, which can be particularly challenging given the indirect relationship between input data and the memory allocation failure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust memory management controls and error handling procedures within the bingrep application. Organizations should immediately update to patched versions of bingrep where available, as this represents a straightforward remediation path. System administrators should implement monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect memory allocation failures and potential exploitation attempts, leveraging standard security monitoring tools to identify anomalous resource consumption patterns. The implementation of proper input validation and memory allocation failure handling should be prioritized, ensuring that all memory allocation requests include appropriate error checking and graceful degradation mechanisms. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application-level sandboxing or containerization strategies to limit the impact of potential exploitation attempts, while also establishing incident response procedures specifically designed to address denial of service vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure components. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and adheres to ATT&CK technique T1499 which addresses disruption of services through resource exhaustion and allocation failures.