CVE-2002-2385 in Hotfoon
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in hotfoon4.exe in Hotfoon 4.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a URL containing a long voice phone number.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-2385 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the hotfoon4.exe component of Hotfoon 4.0 software, a telecommunications application designed for voice phone number processing. This issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly handle excessively long voice phone number strings within URL parameters, creating a potential attack vector that could be exploited by remote adversaries. The flaw specifically manifests when the application processes malformed URL inputs containing extended voice phone number sequences, leading to memory corruption that can result in application instability and potential code execution.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. The buffer overflow occurs during the parsing of URL parameters containing voice phone numbers, where the application fails to validate the length of input data before processing it. This weakness creates a scenario where an attacker can craft a malicious URL with an excessively long voice phone number string that exceeds the allocated buffer space, causing the application to crash or potentially execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability exists at the application layer, specifically within the URL parsing and voice phone number handling components of the Hotfoon 4.0 software stack.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations relying on Hotfoon 4.0 for telecommunications services, as it enables remote attackers to trigger denial of service conditions that could disrupt critical communication infrastructure. The potential for arbitrary code execution further escalates the threat level, as malicious actors could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized system access, escalate privileges, or establish persistent backdoors within affected networks. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not require physical access or local network presence to exploit the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such applications may be exposed to untrusted network traffic.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass potential system compromise and data integrity violations. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability could map to multiple techniques including T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) and T1499 (Endpoint Denial of Service), with potential for privilege escalation if successful exploitation occurs. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation controls, network segmentation to limit exposure, and application firewalls to filter malicious URL parameters. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the importance of proper software development practices such as implementing robust input validation, using safe string handling functions, and conducting thorough security testing during the software development lifecycle to prevent similar issues in future applications.