CVE-2021-44500 in FIS GT.M
Summary
by MITRE • 04/15/2022
An issue was discovered in FIS GT.M through V7.0-000 (related to the YottaDB code base). A lack of input validation in calls to eb_div in sr_port/eb_muldiv.c allows attackers to crash the application by performing a divide by zero.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/08/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-44500 affects FIS GT.M versions through V7.0-000, which shares code with the YottaDB database system. This issue represents a critical denial of service vulnerability that stems from insufficient input validation within the mathematical operations handling code. The flaw specifically manifests in the eb_div function located within the sr_port/eb_muldiv.c source file, which processes division operations within the database system's internal arithmetic computations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability resides in the absence of proper parameter validation before executing division operations. When an attacker supplies malformed input to division functions, the system fails to check for zero divisor conditions before proceeding with the calculation. This lack of input sanitization creates a condition where a divide by zero operation can be triggered intentionally, causing the database application to crash and terminate unexpectedly. The vulnerability operates at the mathematical computation layer of the database engine, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through normal database operations that involve arithmetic processing.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to database availability and system stability. When exploited, the divide by zero condition causes immediate application termination, leading to service disruption for all database users and applications dependent on FIS GT.M. The crash scenario can be triggered through various input vectors including malformed queries, data insertion operations, or even through crafted database transactions that pass through the affected division handling code. This vulnerability essentially provides an attacker with a reliable method to induce denial of service conditions without requiring elevated privileges or complex exploitation techniques.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-369, which specifically addresses the divide by zero error condition in software systems. It also maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks through resource exhaustion or application crashes. Organizations utilizing FIS GT.M systems face potential operational disruption that can affect critical database services, particularly in environments where database availability is paramount for business operations. The exploitability of this vulnerability is relatively straightforward, as it requires only the ability to submit data that will eventually reach the vulnerable division function, making it a particularly concerning issue for production database environments.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing immediate input validation patches to the eb_div function and related mathematical operation handlers. System administrators should prioritize updating to patched versions of FIS GT.M or YottaDB where available, as the vulnerability represents a clear security weakness that can be exploited to cause system instability. Additionally, implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual patterns of database crashes or division operation errors can help identify potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit exposure, while regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar validation gaps in other mathematical operation handling code within the database system.