Error logging buffer overflow in Informix

Advisory Content :

NGSSoftware Insight Security Research Advisory

Name: Error logging buffer overflow in Informix
Systems Affected: Informix 9.40.xC7 and xC8, 10.00.xC3 and xC4
Severity: Critical
Vendor URL: http://www.ibm.com/
Author: David Litchfield [ davidl (at) ngssoftware (dot) com [email
concealed] ]
Date of Public Advisory: 2nd August 2006
Advisory number: #NISR02082006B
CVEID: http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2006-3854
Advisory URL: http://www.ngssoftware.com/research/

Description
***********
Informix Dynamic Server is a database developed by IBM. When IBM released a

patch for the overly long username buffer overflow (CVE-2006-3853) it was
discovered that the patch introduced a new buffer overflow vulnerability.

Details
*******
If the username is longer than 32 bytes an error is logged. A message ("%s
:
username is longer than usersize(32).") is logged with a call to
_mt_logprintf(). _mt_logprintf() creates a 960 byte buffer on the stack and

then passes this as argument for the destination in a call to vsprintf().
Thus if the username is longer than 960 bytes it is possible to overflow
the
buffer, overwriting the saved return address, gaining control of the
process' path of execution.

Fix Information
***************
IBM was alerted to this flaw on the 21st July 2006; a fix has now been made

available - both 9.40.xC9 and 10.00.xC5 fix this issue.

NGSSQuirreL for Informix, an advanced vulnerability assessment scanner
designed specifically for Informix, can be used to accurately determine
whether your servers are vulnerable to this flaw. More information about
NGSSQuirreL for Informix can be found here
http://www.ngssoftware.com/products/database-security/ngs-squirrel-infor
mix.php

About NGSSoftware
*****************

NGSSoftware develops vulnerability assessment and compliancy tools for
database servers including Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, DB2, Sybase and
Informix. Headquartered in the United Kingdom NGS has offices in London,
St.
Andrews (UK), Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth (Australia) and Texas in the
United States; NGSConsulting provide services to some of the largest and
most demanding organizations around the globe.

http://www.ngssoftware.com/

Telephone +44 208 401 0070
Fax +44 208 401 0076

enquiries (at) ngssoftware (dot) com [email concealed]

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Error logging buffer overflow in Informix