CVE-2004-1091 in Midnight commander
Summary
by MITRE
Midnight commander (mc) 4.5.55 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service by triggering a null dereference.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/02/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1091 affects midnight commander version 4.5.55 and earlier, representing a critical denial of service weakness that can be exploited remotely by attackers. This flaw manifests when specific conditions trigger a null pointer dereference within the mc application's memory management routines. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling mechanisms within the file manager's codebase, particularly when processing certain file operations or directory listings that may contain malformed or unexpected data structures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a scenario where mc attempts to access a memory location that has not been properly initialized or allocated, resulting in a null pointer dereference. This condition typically occurs during file system traversal operations or when handling specific file attributes that do not conform to expected data formats. The flaw operates at the application level rather than at the system level, making it exploitable through network-based attacks that can be crafted to trigger the problematic code path. According to CWE classification, this represents a CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference, which is categorized under the broader weakness of improper handling of null values in memory operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can be leveraged to cause complete application crashes and system instability. Remote attackers can craft malicious file listings or directory structures that when processed by mc will inevitably lead to the null pointer dereference condition. This allows for sustained denial of service attacks against systems running vulnerable versions of midnight commander, potentially affecting users who rely on this file management tool for routine operations. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not need physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments or networked systems where mc is commonly deployed.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-1091 primarily involve upgrading to a patched version of midnight commander that addresses the null pointer dereference issue. System administrators should immediately apply security updates from trusted sources, as the vulnerability has been recognized and patched in subsequent releases of the software. Additional protective measures include implementing network segmentation to limit access to systems running mc, deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts, and conducting regular vulnerability assessments to identify other potential weaknesses in the file management infrastructure. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the Tactic of Execution and the Technique of Exploitation of Remote Services, highlighting the importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in preventing such issues. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of unpatched versions of mc and other vulnerable applications.