CVE-2005-0114 in Integrity Client
Summary
by MITRE
vsdatant.sys in Zone Lab ZoneAlarm before 5.5.062.011, ZoneAlarm Wireless before 5.5.080.000, Check Point Integrity Client 4.x before 4.5.122.000 and 5.x before 5.1.556.166 do not properly verify that the ServerPortName argument to the NtConnectPort function is a valid memory address, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (system crash) when ZoneAlarm attempts to dereference an invalid pointer.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/10/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-0114 represents a critical memory corruption issue within the kernel-mode driver components of several security applications. This flaw affects Zone Lab ZoneAlarm versions prior to 5.5.062.011 and 5.5.080.000, as well as Check Point Integrity Client versions 4.x before 4.5.122.000 and 5.x before 5.1.556.166. The vulnerability manifests in the vsdatant.sys driver which handles network port connections through the NtConnectPort Windows API function. The core technical issue stems from insufficient validation of the ServerPortName parameter, which should contain a valid memory address but instead accepts potentially invalid pointers that can lead to system instability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially compromise system stability and availability. When ZoneAlarm attempts to establish network connections through the affected driver, it fails to properly validate that the ServerPortName argument points to valid memory locations before attempting to dereference it. This validation failure creates a scenario where malicious local users can craft specially crafted inputs that cause the kernel to attempt to access invalid memory addresses, resulting in system crashes or blue screen errors. The vulnerability specifically aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities that can occur in kernel-mode drivers.
From an attack perspective, this vulnerability represents a local privilege escalation vector that can be exploited by users with minimal system access. The attack requires only local system access to trigger the invalid pointer dereference, making it particularly dangerous in environments where user privileges are not strictly controlled. The vulnerability follows patterns commonly associated with the attack technique T1068, which involves exploiting legitimate credentials and system access to perform privilege escalation. The fact that this affects security software itself creates an interesting attack surface where malicious actors could potentially exploit the very tools designed to protect systems, leading to a cascading security failure that undermines the entire security infrastructure.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate patching of affected software versions to ensure proper parameter validation is implemented within the kernel-mode driver components. System administrators should prioritize updating ZoneAlarm and Check Point Integrity Client installations to versions that contain proper input validation for the NtConnectPort function calls. Additionally, implementing monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous driver behavior or memory access patterns may help identify exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper kernel-mode programming practices and the necessity of comprehensive input validation even within trusted security software components. Organizations should also consider implementing additional network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of local privilege escalation attacks, particularly in environments where multiple users share systems or where security software is installed with elevated privileges.