CVE-2003-1355 in Battlefield 1942
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the remote console (rcon) in Battlefield 1942 1.2 and 1.3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a long user name and password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2003-1355 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the remote console functionality of Battlefield 1942 version 1.2 and 1.3. This issue resides in the authentication handling mechanism where the game server fails to properly validate input lengths for user credentials, specifically targeting the username and password fields used in the remote console interface. The flaw stems from inadequate bounds checking in the memory allocation routines that process console login requests, creating a condition where malicious input can overwrite adjacent memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which categorizes buffer overflow conditions where insufficient boundary checking allows attackers to write past the end of allocated buffer space. The remote console functionality in Battlefield 1942 exposes a network service that accepts login credentials from remote clients, making it susceptible to exploitation over the network without requiring local system access. When an attacker submits a specially crafted username or password string that exceeds the predetermined buffer size, the excess data overflows into adjacent memory regions, potentially corrupting critical program state information or executable code segments.
This vulnerability enables attackers to achieve both denial of service conditions and potential code execution capabilities, making it particularly dangerous for gaming servers and network infrastructure. The denial of service aspect occurs when the buffer overflow causes the game server process to crash and terminate unexpectedly, rendering the gaming service unavailable to legitimate users. The code execution possibility arises when carefully crafted overflow data can overwrite return addresses or function pointers in the call stack, allowing attackers to redirect program execution flow to malicious code. The operational impact extends beyond simple service disruption as this vulnerability could enable attackers to gain unauthorized control over game server operations, potentially allowing them to manipulate game state, access administrative functions, or even compromise the underlying hosting system.
From an operational perspective this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and secure coding practices in networked applications, particularly those handling user authentication. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation and denial of service technique where adversaries can leverage buffer overflow vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to system resources. The exploitation requires minimal prerequisites and can be automated, making it attractive to attackers seeking to disrupt gaming services or establish persistent access to gaming infrastructure. Organizations running Battlefield 1942 servers should implement immediate mitigations including input length validation, network segmentation, and access control measures to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. The recommended approach involves patching the game server software to implement proper buffer size checking and bounds validation, alongside network-level protections such as rate limiting and connection filtering to reduce the attack surface and prevent unauthorized access to the remote console functionality.