CVE-2019-17042 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

A vulnerability has been identified in Rsyslog v8.1908.0 that leads to a heap overflow during the parsing of Cisco log messages.

Understanding CVE-2019-17042

This CVE involves a heap overflow issue in the Rsyslog parser for Cisco log messages.

What is CVE-2019-17042?

The vulnerability occurs in the file contrib/pmcisconames/pmcisconames.c within Rsyslog v8.1908.0. It arises due to a failure in handling delimiters in Cisco log messages, leading to a heap overflow.

The Impact of CVE-2019-17042

The vulnerability allows attackers to trigger a heap overflow by manipulating log messages, potentially leading to a denial of service or arbitrary code execution.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-17042

This section provides more in-depth technical insights into the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from the parser's failure to properly handle delimiters in Cisco log messages, resulting in a heap overflow.

Affected Systems and Versions

Rsyslog v8.1908.0

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious Cisco log messages that do not adhere to the expected format, triggering the heap overflow.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2019-17042 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches provided by the vendor to address the vulnerability.
Monitor network traffic for any signs of exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch software to prevent known vulnerabilities.
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.
Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and address security weaknesses.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that Rsyslog is updated to a patched version that addresses the heap overflow vulnerability.