CVE-2024-51979 in Printer
Summary
by MITRE • 06/25/2025
An authenticated attacker may trigger a stack based buffer overflow by performing a malformed request to either the HTTP service (TCP port 80), the HTTPS service (TCP port 443), or the IPP service (TCP port 631). The malformed request will contain an empty Origin header value and a malformed Referer header value. The Referer header value will trigger a stack based buffer overflow when the host value in the Referer header is processed and is greater than 64 bytes in length.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow in network services that affects multiple protocols including HTTP, HTTPS, and IPP. The flaw manifests when an authenticated attacker crafts a specifically malformed request that exploits the processing of HTTP headers, particularly focusing on the interaction between the Origin and Referer header values. The vulnerability is triggered through a combination of an empty Origin header and a malformed Referer header where the host component exceeds 64 bytes in length. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which is classified as a fundamental memory safety issue that can lead to arbitrary code execution. The attack vector requires authentication, meaning that an attacker must first establish valid credentials to exploit this weakness, but once authenticated, the impact can be severe.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs during the processing of HTTP headers by the affected service. When the system encounters a Referer header with a host value exceeding 64 bytes, the parsing logic fails to properly validate or constrain the buffer size, leading to a classic stack overflow condition. This allows the attacker to overwrite adjacent stack memory locations, potentially corrupting the program's execution flow. The stack-based nature of the overflow means that the attacker can manipulate return addresses and function pointers, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution and T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter. The specific trigger involves the combination of an empty Origin header with a Referer header containing an oversized host component, suggesting that the application's header parsing logic has insufficient bounds checking for the Referer host value.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios as it represents a potential path to full system compromise. An authenticated attacker who can successfully exploit this buffer overflow could execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected service, potentially leading to complete system takeover. The fact that this affects multiple services across different ports - 80, 443, and 631 - increases the attack surface significantly. Network administrators must consider that this vulnerability could be exploited in various contexts including web applications, print server services, and general HTTP/HTTPS endpoints. The requirement for authentication means that this vulnerability is less likely to be exploited by automated scanning tools, but it remains a serious concern for privileged users or those who have gained legitimate access to the system.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected systems, implementing proper input validation for HTTP headers, and deploying network-level protections. The most effective immediate solution involves applying vendor patches that address the specific buffer overflow condition in the header processing logic. Additionally, implementing strict header validation that limits the length of host components in Referer headers to reasonable bounds would prevent exploitation. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit the potential impact of authenticated attacks, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual patterns in header processing. The implementation of address space layout randomization ASLR and stack canaries could provide additional protection layers against exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls WAF rules that specifically target malformed header patterns and conduct regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network services. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and bounds checking in network service implementations, particularly when processing user-supplied data in HTTP headers.