CVE-2003-0720 in Pine
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in PINE before 4.58 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed message/external-body MIME type.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0720 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the PINE email client software prior to version 4.58. This vulnerability resides in the handling of MIME message structures, specifically when processing the message/external-body MIME type which is used to reference external content such as files or web resources. The flaw manifests when PINE encounters a malformed external-body MIME structure that exceeds the allocated buffer space, creating an opportunity for attackers to manipulate memory contents through carefully crafted malicious messages.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and bounds checking within the PINE email client's MIME parsing routines. When processing incoming email messages containing crafted external-body references, the application fails to properly validate the length of the data being processed, allowing an attacker to overflow the designated buffer and potentially overwrite adjacent memory locations. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking permits memory corruption. The buffer overflow occurs during the parsing of external-body MIME parameters, particularly when handling the access-type and name attributes that define how external content should be accessed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it provides remote attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems. When successfully exploited, the buffer overflow can be leveraged to overwrite return addresses or function pointers within the application's execution stack, enabling attackers to redirect program flow and inject malicious instructions. This represents a classic stack-based buffer overflow exploitation technique that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, where attackers can execute code through memory corruption vulnerabilities. The vulnerability affects systems where PINE is installed and actively processing email messages, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users receive untrusted email content from external sources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of PINE installations to version 4.58 or later, which includes proper bounds checking and input validation for MIME structure parsing. System administrators should also implement email filtering mechanisms that can detect and block malformed MIME structures, particularly those containing external-body references. Network-level protections such as email gateway filtering and content inspection can help prevent exploitation attempts before they reach end-user systems. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of vulnerable email client versions and ensure that automatic updates are enabled for all email applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in security-critical applications and highlights the need for regular security assessments of email processing components. This particular flaw emphasizes the risks associated with legacy email clients that may not receive ongoing security updates, underscoring the necessity of maintaining current software versions and implementing robust security monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts.