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Q230285: XADM:"Denial of service" Vulnerability in Store with IMAP

Article: Q230285
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): winnt:5.5
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbFEA exc55 EXC55SP3Feakbbuglist kbfixlist
Last Modified: 24-JUL-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Exchange Server, version 5.5 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


SYMPTOMS
========

The Microsoft Exchange Server information store process may become unresponsive
to clients and the Exchange Administrator program. Windows NT may report within
a dialog box that the system is running low on virtual memory. Additionally, the
desktop user interface may become sluggish, and over time, computer performance
may degrade to the point of malfunction, requiring a restart.

The overall information store CPU usage in Performance Monitor will appear
relatively high. Also, the information store's "per thread processor
utilization" reveals that only a few threads (~3) appear active within the
information store, but that these threads cycle through periods of high CPU
usage.

These symptoms may ensue after restarting the information store service.

CAUSE
=====

The IMAP protocol, documented in RFC2060 (and predecessors), states that a
subset of IMAP commands are valid for a connection even in the "unauthenticated"
state, requiring that the IMAP server respond to such client command requests
even when the client is without a valid log on. IMAP clients or applications may
malfunction (or attack) by incessantly sending [full] TCP frames containing of
one or more valid IMAP commands. The Exchange Server information store was not
protecting itself from such a malfunction (or attack).

RESOLUTION
==========

A feature is now available that allows the information store to protect itself
from such a malfunction. This feature is available in the latest service pack
for Exchange Server version 5.5. For additional information, please see the
following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q191014 XGEN: How to Obtain the Latest Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack

The English version of this feature should have the following file attributes or
later:

Components: Information Store and Directory

+--------------------------+
| File name   | Version    | 
+--------------------------+
| Store.exe   | 5.5.2600.0 | 
+--------------------------+
| Mdbmsg.dll  | 5.5.2600.0 | 
+--------------------------+
| Gapi32.dll  | 5.5.2600.0 | 
+--------------------------+
| Netif.dll   | 5.5.2600.0 | 
+--------------------------+
| Dsamain.exe | 5.5.2600.0 | 
+--------------------------+

This feature was first included in Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 3.


STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server
version 5.5.

MORE INFORMATION
================

In this case, a network trace was taken on the Exchange Server segment. In
viewing the trace, it could be seen that three other nodes were responsible for
roughly 85 percent of the traffic to and from the Exchange Server computer, and
that this traffic was coming in and out of the IMAP port, port 143. Filtering
the traffic between one of these nodes and the Exchange Server computer revealed
that the node was incessantly sending packed TCP frames full of "no operation"
(NOOP) commands. NOOPs are one of the IMAP commands that are valid even in the
unauthenticated state. However, it is unreasonable and unnecessary to submit
packed 1,500-byte TCP frames full of them. The Exchange Server computer was
attempting to queue and respond to each and every command. After the
hotfix-feature is installed, the server will check the queue of commands
pending, and if over 100, will issue a TCP reset to disconnect the client.


Generating a Performance Monitor log that includes the Memory and Process objects
will record the history of memory resource consumption on the Exchange Server
computer. For this case, when viewing the data in the log, the Process:Virtual
bytes counter for the Store and Services processes will be seen to rise rapidly
until all virtual memory is exhausted.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbFEA exc55 EXC55SP3Fea kbbuglist kbfixlist
Component         : IMAP4
Technology        : kbExchangeSearch kbExchange550 kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : winnt:5.5
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

=============================================================================

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