CVE-2021-3177
Description
A flaw was found in python. A stack-based buffer overflow was discovered in the ctypes module provided within Python. Applications that use ctypes without carefully validating the input passed to it may be vulnerable to this flaw, which would allow an attacker to overflow a buffer on the stack and crash the application. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to system availability.
Statement
This flaw could have had a higher Impact, however our packages are compiled with FORTIFY_SOURCE, which provides runtime protection to some memory and string functions and prevents this flaw from actually overwriting the buffer and potentially executing code.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.9 | 9.8 | 9.8 |
| Attack Vector | Network | Network | Network |
| Attack Complexity | High | Low | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | None | None |
| User Interaction | None | None | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | None | High | High |
| Integrity Impact | None | High | High |
| Availability Impact | High | High | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Red Hat CVSS v3 Score Explanation
Confidentiality and Integrity set to None (C:N/I:N) because python packages in Red Hat products are compiled with FORTIFY_SOURCE, which provides runtime protection to this kind of memory errors and prevents the flaw from actually overwriting the buffer. Thus the impact is reduce to Availability only. Attack Complexity set to High (AC:H) because the flaw requires an application that uses ctypes with input not sanitized/checked that is used to construct a ctypes object.
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Buffer overflows often can be used to execute arbitrary code, which is usually outside the scope of the product's implicit security policy. This can often be used to subvert any other security service.
Availability
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU)
Buffer overflows generally lead to crashes. Other attacks leading to lack of availability are possible, including putting the product into an infinite loop.
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