CVE-2005-0304 in DivX Player
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in DivX Player 2.6 and earlier allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in a filename in a ZIP file for a skin.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0304 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within DivX Player version 2.6 and earlier implementations. This security weakness specifically manifests when the media player processes skin files contained within ZIP archives, creating an avenue for remote attackers to manipulate file system operations beyond the intended scope. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize file paths during decompression processes, allowing malicious actors to exploit the software's handling of relative path references.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on the attacker's ability to craft a specially formatted ZIP file containing skin components with directory traversal sequences. When the vulnerable DivX Player extracts these skin files, it processes filenames containing .. (dot dot) sequences without proper validation, enabling attackers to specify arbitrary file paths outside the intended extraction directory. This flaw directly maps to CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it operates at the file system level, allowing attackers to overwrite existing files or create new ones in critical system locations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to users who may unknowingly download and execute malicious ZIP files containing crafted skin components. The remote attack vector means that adversaries can exploit this weakness without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently download multimedia content from untrusted sources. Successful exploitation could result in the overwrite of critical system files, installation of malicious code, or creation of backdoor access points, potentially compromising the entire system's integrity and security posture. The attack scenario aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through command and scripting interpreter, as the vulnerability enables arbitrary file operations that could be leveraged for malicious code execution.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate software updates to versions that address the directory traversal flaw in the ZIP file processing component. System administrators should implement strict file validation policies and consider sandboxing mechanisms when processing untrusted multimedia content. Additionally, network-level controls such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems can help prevent the delivery of malicious ZIP files to end-user systems. The vulnerability serves as a prime example of why input validation and proper access controls are essential security measures, particularly when handling user-supplied data in file system operations. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of multimedia applications and ensure that legacy software versions are properly deprecated to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.