CVE-2008-2932: Buffer Overflow
adminutil is a library of common functions used by multiple CGI scripts shipped with Red Hat / Fedora Directory Server.
It was discovered that adminutil HTTP unescaping functions did not properly handle %-encoded inputs, resulting in a miscalculation of memory requirement needed to hold processed string with special characters replaced with HTML entities. This resulted in a heap-based overflow. An attacker with access to certain Directory Server's CGI scripts could use this flaw to crash or possibly execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Directory Server Administration Server (unprivileged user, nobody by default, in affected Directory Server versions).
Problem was introduced by a bug fix included in adminutil 1.1.6, affected packages were only shipped in Fedora.
Red Hat Directory Server 7.1 and 8 did not contain vulnerable code.
Other sources
Heap-based buffer overflow in Red Hat adminutil 1.1.6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via % (percent) encoded HTTP input to unspecified CGI scripts in Fedora Directory Server. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incorrect fix for CVE-2008-2929.
— MITRE
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2008-2932?
CVE-2008-2932 is considered a moderate severity vulnerability affecting Red Hat Adminutil 1.1.6.
How do I fix CVE-2008-2932?
To fix CVE-2008-2932, users should upgrade to the latest patched version of Red Hat Adminutil.
What systems are affected by CVE-2008-2932?
CVE-2008-2932 affects the Red Hat Adminutil version 1.1.6, commonly used with Red Hat and Fedora Directory Server.
What are the potential impacts of exploiting CVE-2008-2932?
Exploiting CVE-2008-2932 may lead to denial-of-service conditions due to improper handling of memory allocation.
Can CVE-2008-2932 be exploited remotely?
Yes, CVE-2008-2932 can potentially be exploited remotely via crafted HTTP requests.