CVE Vulnerabilities

CVE-2021-31885

Buffer Access with Incorrect Length Value

Published: Nov 09, 2021 | Modified: May 20, 2022
CVSS 3.x
7.5
HIGH
Source:
NVD
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CVSS 2.x
5 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
RedHat/V2
RedHat/V3
Ubuntu

A vulnerability has been identified in APOGEE MBC (PPC) (BACnet) (All versions), APOGEE MBC (PPC) (P2 Ethernet) (All versions), APOGEE MEC (PPC) (BACnet) (All versions), APOGEE MEC (PPC) (P2 Ethernet) (All versions), APOGEE PXC Compact (BACnet) (All versions < V3.5.4), APOGEE PXC Compact (P2 Ethernet) (All versions < V2.8.19), APOGEE PXC Modular (BACnet) (All versions < V3.5.4), APOGEE PXC Modular (P2 Ethernet) (All versions < V2.8.19), Desigo PXC00-E.D (All versions >= V2.3 and < V6.30.016), Desigo PXC00-U (All versions >= V2.3 and < V6.30.016), Desigo PXC001-E.D (All versions >= V2.3 and < V6.30.016), Desigo PXC100-E.D (All versions >= V2.3 and < V6.30.016), Desigo PXC12-E.D (All versions >= V2.3 and < V6.30.016), Desigo PXC128-U (All versions >= V2.3 and < V6.30.016), Desigo PXC200-E.D (All versions >= V2.3 and < V6.30.016), Desigo PXC22-E.D (All versions >= V2.3 and < V6.30.016), Desigo PXC22.1-E.D (All versions >= V2.3 and < V6.30.016), Desigo PXC36.1-E.D (All versions >= V2.3 and < V6.30.016), Desigo PXC50-E.D (All versions >= V2.3 and < V6.30.016), Desigo PXC64-U (All versions >= V2.3 and < V6.30.016), Desigo PXM20-E (All versions >= V2.3 and < V6.30.016), Nucleus NET (All versions), Nucleus ReadyStart V3 (All versions < V2017.02.4), Nucleus ReadyStart V4 (All versions < V4.1.1), Nucleus Source Code (All versions), PLUSCONTROL 1st Gen (All versions), TALON TC Compact (BACnet) (All versions < V3.5.4), TALON TC Modular (BACnet) (All versions < V3.5.4). TFTP server application allows for reading the contents of the TFTP memory buffer via sending malformed TFTP commands. (FSMD-2021-0009)

Weakness

The product uses a sequential operation to read or write a buffer, but it uses an incorrect length value that causes it to access memory that is outside of the bounds of the buffer.

Affected Software

Name Vendor Start Version End Version
Capital_vstar Siemens * *
Nucleus_net Siemens * *
Nucleus_readystart_v3 Siemens * 2017.02.4 (excluding)
Nucleus_readystart_v4 Siemens * 4.1.1 (excluding)
Nucleus_source_code Siemens * *

Potential Mitigations

  • Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.

  • For example, many languages that perform their own memory management, such as Java and Perl, are not subject to buffer overflows. Other languages, such as Ada and C#, typically provide overflow protection, but the protection can be disabled by the programmer.

  • Be wary that a language’s interface to native code may still be subject to overflows, even if the language itself is theoretically safe.

  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.

  • Examples include the Safe C String Library (SafeStr) by Messier and Viega [REF-57], and the Strsafe.h library from Microsoft [REF-56]. These libraries provide safer versions of overflow-prone string-handling functions.

  • Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking.

  • D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND [REF-1334] discusses canary-based detection in detail.

  • Consider adhering to the following rules when allocating and managing an application’s memory:

  • Run or compile the software using features or extensions that randomly arrange the positions of a program’s executable and libraries in memory. Because this makes the addresses unpredictable, it can prevent an attacker from reliably jumping to exploitable code.

  • Examples include Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) [REF-58] [REF-60] and Position-Independent Executables (PIE) [REF-64]. Imported modules may be similarly realigned if their default memory addresses conflict with other modules, in a process known as “rebasing” (for Windows) and “prelinking” (for Linux) [REF-1332] using randomly generated addresses. ASLR for libraries cannot be used in conjunction with prelink since it would require relocating the libraries at run-time, defeating the whole purpose of prelinking.

  • For more information on these techniques see D3-SAOR (Segment Address Offset Randomization) from D3FEND [REF-1335].

  • Use a CPU and operating system that offers Data Execution Protection (using hardware NX or XD bits) or the equivalent techniques that simulate this feature in software, such as PaX [REF-60] [REF-61]. These techniques ensure that any instruction executed is exclusively at a memory address that is part of the code segment.

  • For more information on these techniques see D3-PSEP (Process Segment Execution Prevention) from D3FEND [REF-1336].

  • Run the code in a “jail” or similar sandbox environment that enforces strict boundaries between the process and the operating system. This may effectively restrict which files can be accessed in a particular directory or which commands can be executed by the software.

  • OS-level examples include the Unix chroot jail, AppArmor, and SELinux. In general, managed code may provide some protection. For example, java.io.FilePermission in the Java SecurityManager allows the software to specify restrictions on file operations.

  • This may not be a feasible solution, and it only limits the impact to the operating system; the rest of the application may still be subject to compromise.

  • Be careful to avoid CWE-243 and other weaknesses related to jails.

References