CVE-2024-52061: RTI Connext Professional Buffer Overflow

CVE-2024-52061 Overview

CVE-2024-52061 is a classic buffer overflow vulnerability affecting RTI Connext Professional, a widely-used middleware platform for real-time distributed systems. The vulnerability exists in multiple components including Core Libraries, Queuing Service, Recording Service, and Routing Service. An attacker can exploit this flaw to overflow variables and tags by providing input that exceeds expected buffer sizes, potentially leading to integrity and availability impacts on affected systems.

Critical Impact

This network-accessible buffer overflow vulnerability can be exploited without authentication to compromise system integrity and availability in industrial and IoT environments relying on RTI Connext Professional for real-time data distribution.

Affected Products

• RTI Connext Professional versions 7.4.0 to before 7.5.0
• RTI Connext Professional versions 7.0.0 to before 7.3.0.5
• RTI Connext Professional versions 6.1.0 to before 6.1.2.21
• RTI Connext Professional versions 6.0.0 to before 6.0.1.40
• RTI Connext Professional versions 5.0.0 to before 5.3.1.45

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-12-13 - CVE-2024-52061 published to NVD
• 2025-10-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-52061

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as a Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input (CWE-120), which is commonly referred to as a classic buffer overflow. Additionally, it maps to Out-of-Bounds Write (CWE-787), indicating that the vulnerability allows writing data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory buffers. The flaw exists across multiple RTI Connext Professional services that handle data distribution in real-time systems.

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction. However, some preconditions must be met for successful exploitation, which adds a degree of complexity to attack scenarios. When exploited, the vulnerability does not compromise confidentiality but can significantly impact both integrity and availability of the target system.

RTI Connext Professional is commonly deployed in industrial control systems, autonomous vehicles, healthcare devices, and other mission-critical environments where real-time data distribution is essential. This makes the vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations in these sectors.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-52061 is improper validation of input size before copying data into fixed-size memory buffers within the RTI Connext Professional Core Libraries and associated services. When processing certain input data, the affected components fail to verify that the incoming data fits within the allocated buffer space, allowing attackers to write beyond buffer boundaries.

This type of vulnerability typically occurs when:

• Memory allocation is static or predetermined
• Input length is not validated against buffer capacity
• String or data copying functions do not include bounds checking

Attack Vector

The attack can be conducted remotely over a network connection. An attacker would need to send specially crafted data to the vulnerable RTI Connext Professional services that exceeds expected buffer sizes. The overflow of variables and tags can corrupt adjacent memory, potentially allowing manipulation of program execution flow or causing service disruption.

The attack scenario involves:

1. Identifying a system running vulnerable versions of RTI Connext Professional
2. Crafting malicious input designed to exceed buffer boundaries
3. Sending the payload to the target service over the network
4. Exploiting the buffer overflow to compromise integrity or availability

The vulnerability mechanism involves improper handling of input sizes in the Core Libraries, Queuing Service, Recording Service, and Routing Service components. When data is processed without adequate bounds checking, the buffer overflow condition occurs, enabling the overflow of variables and tags. For detailed technical information, refer to the RTI Vulnerability Overview.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-52061

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes or service restarts in RTI Connext Professional services
• Anomalous network traffic patterns targeting DDS (Data Distribution Service) ports
• Memory corruption indicators in system logs from Queuing, Recording, or Routing services
• Unusual data patterns in RTI Connext Professional communication channels

Detection Strategies

• Monitor network traffic for abnormally large or malformed packets destined for RTI Connext Professional services
• Implement intrusion detection rules to identify potential buffer overflow exploitation attempts
• Deploy application-level logging to capture and analyze input validation failures
• Use memory protection tools to detect out-of-bounds write attempts in production environments

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging for all RTI Connext Professional services and review logs for anomalies
• Implement network segmentation to isolate systems running RTI Connext Professional from untrusted networks
• Configure alerting for service availability issues that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Utilize SentinelOne's behavioral AI to detect exploitation patterns associated with buffer overflow attacks

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-52061

Immediate Actions Required

• Identify all deployments of RTI Connext Professional within your environment and determine version numbers
• Prioritize patching systems exposed to untrusted networks or the internet
• Implement network access controls to restrict access to RTI Connext Professional services
• Review and apply the vendor security advisory recommendations immediately

Patch Information

RTI has released patched versions to address this vulnerability. Organizations should upgrade to the following versions:

• Version 7.5.0 or later for systems running 7.4.x
• Version 7.3.0.5 or later for systems running 7.0.x to 7.3.x
• Version 6.1.2.21 or later for systems running 6.1.x
• Version 6.0.1.40 or later for systems running 6.0.x
• Version 5.3.1.45 or later for systems running 5.x

For complete patch information and download links, consult the RTI Vulnerability Overview.

Workarounds

• Implement network segmentation to isolate RTI Connext Professional services from untrusted networks
• Apply firewall rules to restrict access to DDS ports only from known and trusted sources
• Enable input validation and filtering at network perimeter devices where possible
• Monitor for exploitation attempts while preparing to deploy patches

# Example firewall rule to restrict access to RTI Connext Professional
# Adjust ports based on your specific deployment configuration
iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 7400:7500 -s trusted_network_cidr -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 7400:7500 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 7400:7500 -s trusted_network_cidr -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 7400:7500 -j DROP