CVE-2004-1664 in Call Of Duty
Summary
by MITRE
Call of Duty 1.4 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (game end) via a large (1) query or (2) reply packet, which is not properly handled by the buffer overflow protection mechanism. NOTE: this issue might overlap CVE-2005-0430.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/05/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-1664 represents a classic buffer overflow condition affecting the Call of Duty game client version 1.4 and earlier. This issue manifests when the game processes network packets containing oversized query or reply data, specifically packets with a size of one byte that exceed the intended buffer capacity. The flaw exists within the game's network communication handling mechanism where the buffer overflow protection system fails to properly validate incoming packet sizes, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability operates as a remote denial of service attack that exploits improper input validation within the game's networking stack. The buffer overflow protection mechanism that should have safeguarded against such conditions is either absent, misconfigured, or insufficiently robust to handle the specific packet size manipulation. When a malicious actor sends a specially crafted packet with oversized data, the game client's memory management system cannot properly handle the excess data, leading to game termination or crash. This represents a fundamental flaw in the software's defensive programming practices and highlights the importance of proper boundary checking in network protocol implementations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple game disruption, as it demonstrates a critical weakness in the game's security architecture that could potentially be exploited in larger network attacks. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to repeatedly crash game sessions, disrupt multiplayer experiences, or potentially create a persistent denial of service condition that affects multiple players simultaneously. The vulnerability's classification as a remote attack vector means that malicious actors do not need physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in online gaming environments where network communication is essential.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and demonstrates the importance of implementing proper input validation and bounds checking in networked applications. The issue also relates to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and highlights how seemingly minor input validation flaws can create significant operational disruptions. The overlapping nature with CVE-2005-0430 suggests this represents a broader class of vulnerabilities affecting similar game networking implementations from the same era, indicating that multiple applications may share similar security weaknesses in their network handling code.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation, establishing strict packet size limits, and deploying robust buffer management practices. Game developers should enforce maximum packet size constraints, implement comprehensive error handling for malformed network data, and ensure that all buffer operations include proper bounds checking. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing packet filtering rules that limit the size of incoming network traffic to prevent exploitation of such vulnerabilities. The most effective long-term solution involves updating to patched versions of the game client that properly handle oversized network packets and include enhanced buffer overflow protection mechanisms to prevent similar issues from occurring in future implementations.