CVE-2004-0932 in RAV
Summary
by MITRE
McAfee Anti-Virus Engine DATS drivers before 4398 released on Oct 13th 2004 and DATS Driver before 4397 October 6th 2004 allows remote attackers to bypass antivirus protection via a compressed file with both local and global headers set to zero, which does not prevent the compressed file from being opened on a target system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-0932 represents a critical flaw in McAfee's Anti-Virus Engine DATS drivers that affected versions prior to 4398 released on October 13th 2004 and DATS Driver versions prior to 4397 released on October 6th 2004. This security weakness specifically targets the decompression and file validation mechanisms within the antivirus engine, creating a significant bypass opportunity for malicious actors seeking to evade detection. The flaw exploits a fundamental weakness in how the system handles compressed files, particularly those that manipulate header values to circumvent normal security checks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a specific manipulation of compressed file structures where both local and global headers are set to zero values. This particular configuration allows attackers to craft malicious compressed files that appear legitimate to the antivirus engine's scanning mechanisms while actually containing malicious payloads. The zero-value headers effectively disable the normal validation checks that would typically prevent such files from being processed, creating a pathway for malicious code to execute on target systems without triggering the expected antivirus alerts. This type of attack leverages the principle of header manipulation to bypass integrity checks that should normally prevent execution of suspicious compressed content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple bypass of antivirus protection, as it represents a sophisticated attack vector that could be exploited across multiple network environments. Attackers could potentially deliver malware through compressed files that would be accepted by systems running vulnerable McAfee versions, effectively neutralizing the protection that organizations had invested in for their security infrastructure. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that malicious actors could deploy this technique from external networks without requiring local access to the target systems. This creates a significant risk for organizations that rely heavily on McAfee's antivirus solutions for their endpoint protection, as the vulnerability essentially allows attackers to silently deliver malicious content that would otherwise be detected and blocked.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-119 which addresses "Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer" and reflects common patterns seen in buffer overflows and memory corruption attacks. The attack methodology also corresponds to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1059 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1070 for Indicator Removal on Host, as the bypass allows for stealthy execution of malicious code while potentially evading detection mechanisms. Organizations affected by this vulnerability would have experienced a significant reduction in their security posture, as the antivirus protection that should have been providing defense against compressed malware was effectively circumvented. The remediation required involved updating to specific DATS driver versions that addressed the header validation logic, emphasizing the importance of keeping security software current with the latest threat intelligence and protection updates. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and the potential consequences when compression handling logic fails to properly validate file structures before processing them.