CVE-2024-52065 in Connext Professional
Summary
by MITRE • 12/13/2024
Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow') vulnerability in RTI Connext Professional on non-Windows (Persistence Service) allows Buffer Overflow via Environment Variables.This issue affects Connext Professional: from 7.0.0 before 7.3.0.2, from 6.1.1.2 before 6.1.2.21, from 5.3.1.40 before 5.3.1.41.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-52065 represents a classic buffer overflow condition within RTI Connext Professional's Persistence Service component, specifically affecting non-Windows operating systems. This flaw manifests when the system processes environment variables through the persistence service functionality, creating an opportunity for malicious actors to exploit memory corruption vulnerabilities. The affected versions span multiple release lines including 7.0.0 through 7.2.9.9, 6.1.1.2 through 6.1.2.20, and 5.3.1.40 through 5.3.1.40, indicating this issue has persisted across several major releases and represents a significant security gap in the middleware's input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-121 as a classic buffer overflow, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the persistence service module of RTI Connext Professional, where environment variables are processed without proper size validation before being copied into fixed-size buffers. When environment variables exceed the allocated buffer capacity, the excess data overflows into adjacent memory regions, potentially corrupting program execution flow or enabling arbitrary code execution. This particular flaw is classified as a buffer copy without checking size of input vulnerability, which directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers can manipulate environment variables to inject malicious payloads. The persistence service component typically handles data storage and retrieval operations, making it a critical pathway for potential exploitation.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-52065 extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it enables attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected process. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in industrial control systems and real-time applications where RTI Connext Professional is commonly deployed, as it could compromise critical infrastructure operations. The attack surface is broadened by the fact that environment variables are often used to configure application behavior, making them a natural target for exploitation. Additionally, the vulnerability affects multiple versions simultaneously, suggesting that organizations running any of the affected release lines are exposed to potential compromise. The persistence service functionality, which is designed to maintain application state across restarts, becomes a vector for persistent malicious code execution when exploited.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-52065 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to versions 7.3.0.2, 6.1.2.21, or 5.3.1.41 respectively, as these releases contain the necessary fixes for the buffer overflow condition. Organizations should implement environment variable sanitization practices to reduce the attack surface, ensuring that input validation occurs at multiple layers of the application stack. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened around systems running RTI Connext Professional to limit potential exploitation paths. The principle of least privilege should be enforced when running the persistence service, reducing the potential impact of successful exploitation. System monitoring should include detection of unusual environment variable usage patterns, and organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their RTI Connext Professional deployments to identify any potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing runtime protections such as address space layout randomization and stack canaries can provide defense-in-depth measures against exploitation attempts.