CVE-2023-5393 in Experion Server
Summary
by MITRE • 04/11/2024
Server receiving a malformed message that causes a disconnect to a hostname may causing a stack overflow resulting in possible remote code execution. Honeywell recommends updating to the most recent version of the product. See Honeywell Security Notification for recommendations on upgrading and versioning.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/16/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical stack overflow condition that can be triggered through malformed message handling within the server component of affected Honeywell security products. The flaw occurs when the system processes improperly formatted communication messages that cause the server to disconnect from a hostname, leading to an exploitable stack overflow condition. Such vulnerabilities typically arise from insufficient input validation and memory management practices within network protocols. The technical implementation involves the server's failure to properly handle edge cases in message parsing, where malformed data structures can overwrite adjacent memory locations on the stack, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass full system compromise capabilities. When an attacker can trigger the stack overflow through carefully crafted malicious messages, they may gain remote code execution privileges on the affected server. This represents a severe threat to security infrastructure as it allows unauthorized access to critical network security systems. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and potentially CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw maps to ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves exploiting software vulnerabilities to gain remote access, and T1059, which covers command and control through remote code execution.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal privileges and can be executed remotely, making it particularly dangerous for security infrastructure deployments. Attackers can craft malicious network messages that, when processed by the vulnerable server, trigger the overflow condition and potentially establish persistent access to the compromised system. The recommended mitigation strategy focuses on immediate version upgrades as outlined in the Honeywell Security Notification, which represents the standard industry approach for addressing known vulnerabilities. Organizations should implement comprehensive network monitoring to detect anomalous message patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while also ensuring all affected systems receive the patched software versions. The vulnerability underscores the importance of robust input validation and memory safety practices in security-critical applications, particularly those handling network communications where untrusted data flows through the system.