Software Engineering Institute

VERITAS NetBackup

Netbackup is a data backup and recovery solution with support for "over the network" backup.

NetBackup Catalog daemon (bpdbm)

The NetBackup Catalog daemon handles queries against internal NetBackup databases, known as catalogs. This daemon is also referred to as the NetBackup Database Manager.

The problem

The NetBackup Catalog daemon contains a stack-based buffer overflow. The problem is due to a lack of bounds checking on a buffer used to hold user-controlled data. The buffer overflow can be triggered by sending a specially crafted packet to a vulnerable NetBackup master server. More information is available in Symantec Security Advisory SYM06-006.

Considerations

The NetBackup Catalog daemon only runs on NetBackup master servers.

By sending a specially crafted packet to a vulnerable Netbackup master a remote, unauthenticated attacker may be able to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the NetBackup Catalog daemon, typically root.

Apply patches from Symantec/VERITAS
Symantec/VERITAS has released patches to correct this issue in Symantec Security Advisory SYM06-006.

Restrict access

You may wish to block access to the vulnerable software from outside your network perimeter, specifically by blocking access to the ports used by NetBackup Catalog daemon (typically 13721/tcp). This will limit your exposure to attacks. However, blocking at the network perimeter would still allow attackers within the perimeter of your network to exploit the vulnerability. The use of host-based firewalls in addition to network-based firewalls can help restrict access to specific hosts within the network. It is important to understand your network's configuration and service requirements before deciding what changes are appropriate.

Note: even if patching can be done quickly, the above workaround measures should be considered as part of a defense-in-depth strategy for protecting your systems.