CVE-2004-1906 in FreeScan
Summary
by MITRE
Mcafee FreeScan allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly arbitrary code via a long string in the ScanParam property of a COM object, which may trigger a buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/28/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1906 resides within McAfee FreeScan, a security scanning tool designed to detect malware and system vulnerabilities. This flaw represents a classic buffer overflow condition that occurs when processing user-supplied input through COM object interfaces. The vulnerability specifically manifests when a malicious actor crafts an excessively long string and injects it into the ScanParam property of a COM object, creating a dangerous condition that can be exploited remotely. The buffer overflow vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and bounds checking within the FreeScan application's COM interface implementation, allowing attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations beyond the allocated buffer space.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a well-established pattern that aligns with CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows memory to be overwritten. When the malformed string exceeds the allocated buffer size in the ScanParam property, it causes memory corruption that can result in unpredictable behavior including application crashes, denial of service conditions, or potentially arbitrary code execution. The COM object interface serves as the attack vector because it provides an accessible entry point for remote exploitation, particularly when the application is configured to accept input from untrusted sources. This vulnerability demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where input length validation is insufficient to prevent buffer overflows, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where remote code execution could be achieved through carefully crafted malicious input.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-1906 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable remote code execution, making it a critical security concern for systems running McAfee FreeScan. When exploited successfully, this vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the FreeScan process, which typically runs with elevated system permissions. The attack surface is particularly concerning because COM objects are commonly used in enterprise environments for automation and system management tasks, providing attackers with potential access to critical system resources. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers need not have physical access to target systems, significantly increasing the attack surface and making it particularly attractive to threat actors. Organizations using McAfee FreeScan in production environments face substantial risk of compromise, as this vulnerability can be exploited without requiring authentication or specialized knowledge of the target system's internal workings.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-1906 should include immediate application of vendor patches and updates to address the buffer overflow condition in McAfee FreeScan. System administrators should implement network segmentation to limit access to systems running FreeScan, particularly those exposed to untrusted networks or users. Input validation controls should be strengthened to enforce maximum string length limits on all COM object properties, particularly those handling user-supplied data. The implementation of runtime protections such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and data execution prevention can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider disabling unnecessary COM interfaces and implementing strict access controls to limit potential attack vectors. From an operational security perspective, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar buffer overflow conditions in other applications and systems, as this vulnerability type remains prevalent in legacy software implementations. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under privilege escalation and remote code execution techniques, emphasizing the need for comprehensive defensive measures including application whitelisting and network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts.