Vulnerabilities > CVE-2016-6254 - Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer vulnerability in multiple products

047910
CVSS 9.1 - CRITICAL
Attack vector
NETWORK
Attack complexity
LOW
Privileges required
NONE
Confidentiality impact
NONE
Integrity impact
HIGH
Availability impact
HIGH
network
low complexity
debian
collectd
fedoraproject
CWE-119
critical
nessus

Summary

Heap-based buffer overflow in the parse_packet function in network.c in collectd before 5.4.3 and 5.x before 5.5.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted network packet.

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

  • Buffer Overflow via Environment Variables
    This attack pattern involves causing a buffer overflow through manipulation of environment variables. Once the attacker finds that they can modify an environment variable, they may try to overflow associated buffers. This attack leverages implicit trust often placed in environment variables.
  • Overflow Buffers
    Buffer Overflow attacks target improper or missing bounds checking on buffer operations, typically triggered by input injected by an attacker. As a consequence, an attacker is able to write past the boundaries of allocated buffer regions in memory, causing a program crash or potentially redirection of execution as per the attackers' choice.
  • Client-side Injection-induced Buffer Overflow
    This type of attack exploits a buffer overflow vulnerability in targeted client software through injection of malicious content from a custom-built hostile service.
  • Filter Failure through Buffer Overflow
    In this attack, the idea is to cause an active filter to fail by causing an oversized transaction. An attacker may try to feed overly long input strings to the program in an attempt to overwhelm the filter (by causing a buffer overflow) and hoping that the filter does not fail securely (i.e. the user input is let into the system unfiltered).
  • MIME Conversion
    An attacker exploits a weakness in the MIME conversion routine to cause a buffer overflow and gain control over the mail server machine. The MIME system is designed to allow various different information formats to be interpreted and sent via e-mail. Attack points exist when data are converted to MIME compatible format and back.

Nessus

  • NASL familyFreeBSD Local Security Checks
    NASL idFREEBSD_PKG_6DA45E385B5511E68859000C292EE6B8.NASL
    descriptionThe collectd Project reports : Emilien Gaspar has identified a heap overflow in collectd
    last seen2020-06-01
    modified2020-06-02
    plugin id92813
    published2016-08-09
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2016-2018 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/92813
    titleFreeBSD : collectd -- Network plugin heap overflow (6da45e38-5b55-11e6-8859-000c292ee6b8)
    code
    #
    # (C) Tenable Network Security, Inc.
    #
    # The descriptive text and package checks in this plugin were  
    # extracted from the FreeBSD VuXML database :
    #
    # Copyright 2003-2018 Jacques Vidrine and contributors
    #
    # Redistribution and use in source (VuXML) and 'compiled' forms (SGML,
    # HTML, PDF, PostScript, RTF and so forth) with or without modification,
    # are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
    # 1. Redistributions of source code (VuXML) must retain the above
    #    copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following
    #    disclaimer as the first lines of this file unmodified.
    # 2. Redistributions in compiled form (transformed to other DTDs,
    #    published online in any format, converted to PDF, PostScript,
    #    RTF and other formats) must reproduce the above copyright
    #    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer
    #    in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
    #    distribution.
    # 
    # THIS DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"
    # AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
    # THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
    # PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR OR CONTRIBUTORS
    # BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY,
    # OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT
    # OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR
    # BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY,
    # WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE
    # OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS DOCUMENTATION,
    # EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
    #
    
    include("compat.inc");
    
    if (description)
    {
      script_id(92813);
      script_version("2.6");
      script_cvs_date("Date: 2018/12/19 13:21:18");
    
      script_cve_id("CVE-2016-6254");
    
      script_name(english:"FreeBSD : collectd -- Network plugin heap overflow (6da45e38-5b55-11e6-8859-000c292ee6b8)");
      script_summary(english:"Checks for updated package in pkg_info output");
    
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"synopsis", 
        value:"The remote FreeBSD host is missing a security-related update."
      );
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"description", 
        value:
    "The collectd Project reports :
    
    Emilien Gaspar has identified a heap overflow in collectd's network
    plugin which can be triggered remotely and is potentially exploitable."
      );
      # http://collectd.org/news.shtml#news98
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"see_also",
        value:"https://collectd.org/news.shtml#news98"
      );
      # https://vuxml.freebsd.org/freebsd/6da45e38-5b55-11e6-8859-000c292ee6b8.html
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"see_also",
        value:"http://www.nessus.org/u?a0ca2b30"
      );
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:"Update the affected package.");
      script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:P");
      script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H");
    
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:freebsd:freebsd:collectd5");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:freebsd:freebsd");
    
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2016/07/26");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"patch_publication_date", value:"2016/08/05");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2016/08/09");
      script_end_attributes();
    
      script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
      script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2016-2018 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");
      script_family(english:"FreeBSD Local Security Checks");
    
      script_dependencies("ssh_get_info.nasl");
      script_require_keys("Host/local_checks_enabled", "Host/FreeBSD/release", "Host/FreeBSD/pkg_info");
    
      exit(0);
    }
    
    
    include("audit.inc");
    include("freebsd_package.inc");
    
    
    if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
    if (!get_kb_item("Host/FreeBSD/release")) audit(AUDIT_OS_NOT, "FreeBSD");
    if (!get_kb_item("Host/FreeBSD/pkg_info")) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);
    
    
    flag = 0;
    
    if (pkg_test(save_report:TRUE, pkg:"collectd5<5.5.2")) flag++;
    
    if (flag)
    {
      if (report_verbosity > 0) security_warning(port:0, extra:pkg_report_get());
      else security_warning(0);
      exit(0);
    }
    else audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, "affected");
    
  • NASL familyFedora Local Security Checks
    NASL idFEDORA_2016-23F0D552E8.NASL
    description - Upstream released new version (https://collectd.org/news.shtml#news98) - Contains fix for CVE-2016-6254 - Drop a few patches applied upstream Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora update system website. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.
    last seen2020-06-05
    modified2016-08-05
    plugin id92732
    published2016-08-05
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2016-2020 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/92732
    titleFedora 23 : collectd (2016-23f0d552e8)
  • NASL familyFedora Local Security Checks
    NASL idFEDORA_2016-E16A14FFC5.NASL
    description - Upstream released new version (https://collectd.org/news.shtml#news98) - Contains fix for CVE-2016-6254 - Drop a few patches applied upstream Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Fedora update system website. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.
    last seen2020-06-05
    modified2016-08-05
    plugin id92737
    published2016-08-05
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2016-2020 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/92737
    titleFedora 24 : collectd (2016-e16a14ffc5)
  • NASL familyDebian Local Security Checks
    NASL idDEBIAN_DSA-3636.NASL
    descriptionEmilien Gaspar discovered that collectd, a statistics collection and monitoring daemon, incorrectly processed incoming network packets. This resulted in a heap overflow, allowing a remote attacker to either cause a DoS via application crash, or potentially execute arbitrary code. Additionally, security researchers at Columbia University and the University of Virginia discovered that collectd failed to verify a return value during initialization. This meant the daemon could sometimes be started without the desired, secure settings.
    last seen2020-06-01
    modified2020-06-02
    plugin id92644
    published2016-08-01
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2016-2018 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/92644
    titleDebian DSA-3636-1 : collectd - security update
  • NASL familyAmazon Linux Local Security Checks
    NASL idALA_ALAS-2016-739.NASL
    descriptionA heap-based buffer overflow in the parse_packet function in network.c in collectd allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted network packet.
    last seen2020-06-01
    modified2020-06-02
    plugin id93251
    published2016-09-02
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2016-2018 Tenable Network Security, Inc.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/93251
    titleAmazon Linux AMI : collectd (ALAS-2016-739)