CVE-2004-2709 in Gyach Enhanced
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the strip_html_tags method for Gyach Enhanced (Gyach-E) before 1.0.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors involving HTML tags.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/18/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2709 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the strip_html_tags method of Gyach Enhanced version 1.0.3 and earlier. This software, designed for processing and displaying web content, contains a fundamental memory management error that can be exploited remotely by malicious actors. The buffer overflow occurs during the processing of HTML tags, specifically when the application attempts to strip or remove HTML formatting from incoming content. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and bounds checking within the string manipulation routines that handle HTML tag processing. Attackers can craft specially malformed HTML content that, when processed by the vulnerable Gyach-E application, triggers the buffer overflow condition. This flaw falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through remote interactions with the application, making it accessible to attackers without requiring local system access. The exploit potential extends beyond simple denial of service to include arbitrary code execution, making this a severe security risk that could allow attackers to gain control of affected systems. When the buffer overflow occurs, it can corrupt the program's execution flow by overwriting return addresses, function pointers, or other critical memory structures. This corruption can lead to unpredictable application behavior, crashes, or more seriously, allow attackers to inject and execute malicious code within the application's memory space. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that Gyach-E applications are typically deployed in environments where they process untrusted web content from multiple sources. The exploitability of this vulnerability is enhanced by the lack of proper input sanitization, as the application fails to properly validate the length and structure of HTML tags before processing them. This allows attackers to craft inputs that exceed the allocated buffer space and overwrite critical memory segments. The specific vectors for exploitation involve sending carefully crafted HTML content that triggers the buffer overflow during the strip_html_tags processing phase. The denial of service aspect of this vulnerability manifests as application crashes or restarts, while the potential for arbitrary code execution means that attackers could gain full system control. The vulnerability's presence in the HTML processing pipeline makes it particularly insidious since it can be triggered by any web content that passes through the application's filtering mechanism. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to organizations that rely on Gyach-E for web content processing, as it provides a clear attack path for remote exploitation. The exploit requires no special privileges or access to the target system, making it particularly attractive to threat actors. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for privilege escalation and code execution through buffer overflow conditions. Organizations using affected versions of Gyach-E should immediately implement mitigation strategies, including patching to version 1.0.4 or later, implementing input validation measures, and monitoring for potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management and input validation in security-critical applications, particularly those handling untrusted data from external sources. Without proper remediation, systems running vulnerable versions of Gyach-E remain at risk of being compromised through this buffer overflow vulnerability, potentially leading to complete system takeover and data breaches.