IBM Tivoli Storage Manager Express for Microsoft SQL Heap Overflow Vulnerability

October 30th, 2008
ZDI-08-071 ZDI-CAN-321

CVE ID

CVE-2008-4801

CVSS Score

None None

Affected Vendors

IBM

Affected Products

Tivoli Storage Manager Express

Vulnerability Details

This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable installations of IBM Tivoli Storage Manager Express for Microsoft SQL. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability.

The specific flaw resides in the Data Protection for SQL CAD service, dsmcat.exe, which listens by default on a TCP port above 1024. The process trusts a user-supplied size value, receiving the specified amount of data into a static heap buffer. By sending a specially crafted packet, an attacker can overflow that buffer leading to arbitrary code execution in the context of the SYSTEM user.

Additional Details

IBM has issued an update to correct this vulnerability. More details can be found at:
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21322623

Disclosure Timeline

  • 2008-05-12 - Vulnerability reported to vendor
  • 2008-10-30 - Coordinated public release of advisory

Credit

Manuel Santamarina Suarez

Back to Advisories