CVE-2019-17042: Input Validation
An issue was discovered in Rsyslog v8.1908.0. contrib/pmcisconames/pmcisconames.c has a heap overflow in the parser for Cisco log messages. The parser tries to locate a log message delimiter (in this case, a space or a colon), but fails to account for strings that do not satisfy this constraint. If the string does not match, then the variable lenMsg will reach the value zero and will skip the sanity check that detects invalid log messages. The message will then be considered valid, and the parser will eat up the nonexistent colon delimiter. In doing so, it will decrement lenMsg, a signed integer, whose value was zero and now becomes minus one. The following step in the parser is to shift left the contents of the message. To do this, it will call memmove with the right pointers to the target and destination strings, but the lenMsg will now be interpreted as a huge value, causing a heap overflow.
Other sources
Rsyslog is vulnerable to a heap-based buffer overflow, caused by improper bounds checking by the contrib/pmcisconames/pmcisconames.c. By sending a specially-crafted message, a remote attacker could overflow a buffer and execute arbitrary code on the system or cause the application to crash.
— IBM
Affected Software
Remediation
Patch Available
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2019-17042?
The severity of CVE-2019-17042 is critical with a severity value of 9.8.
Which software versions are affected by CVE-2019-17042?
Rsyslog versions 8.1908.0, Fedora versions 30 and 31, Debian Linux version 9.0, openSUSE Leap versions 15.0 and 15.1, and IBM Data Risk Manager version up to 2.0.6 are affected by CVE-2019-17042.
How does CVE-2019-17042 impact Rsyslog?
CVE-2019-17042 causes a heap-based buffer overflow in the parser for Cisco log messages in Rsyslog, potentially leading to remote code execution or denial of service.
Is there a patch available for CVE-2019-17042?
Yes, IBM Data Risk Manager version 2.0.6 has a patch available. Other affected software may also have patches provided by their respective vendors.
Where can I find more information about CVE-2019-17042?
You can find more information about CVE-2019-17042 in the following references: [link1](http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-11/msg00031.html), [link2](http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-11/msg00032.html), [link3](https://github.com/rsyslog/rsyslog/blob/v8-stable/ChangeLog).