CVE-2005-0430 in Quake 3 Engine
Summary
by MITRE
The Quake 3 engine, as used in multiple game packages, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (shutdown game server) and possibly crash the server via a long infostring, possibly triggering a buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0430 resides within the Quake 3 engine implementation across various gaming platforms, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to disrupt game server operations. This vulnerability specifically targets the engine's handling of information strings, which are used to transmit server and client configuration data during network communication. The flaw manifests when the engine receives an excessively long infostring parameter that exceeds the allocated buffer space, creating conditions ripe for exploitation.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability operates through a classic buffer overflow condition where the Quake 3 engine fails to properly validate the length of incoming infostring data before processing it. When an attacker crafts and sends an infostring that exceeds the predetermined buffer limits, the excess data overflows into adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting critical program state information. This overflow condition can be exploited to either crash the game server process entirely or force it into an unstable state that results in service disruption. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered remotely without requiring authentication or special privileges, making it accessible to any network-connected attacker.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to game server administrators and online gaming communities that rely on Quake 3 engine-based servers. The ability to cause denial of service attacks means that legitimate players could be abruptly disconnected from servers, disrupting gameplay sessions and potentially damaging server reputation. In severe cases where the buffer overflow leads to complete server crashes, entire gaming sessions may be lost and administrators may need to restart server processes manually. The vulnerability affects multiple game packages that utilize the Quake 3 engine, amplifying its potential impact across various gaming platforms and communities that depend on this foundational technology.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve implementing proper input validation mechanisms within the Quake 3 engine's network handling code. System administrators should ensure that all affected game servers are updated with patches that properly limit the maximum length of infostring data that can be processed. Additionally, network-level protections such as rate limiting and connection filtering can help reduce the effectiveness of exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of how improper input validation can lead to denial of service and potential system compromise. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability would be categorized under the ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for Network Denial of Service, demonstrating how attackers can leverage software flaws to disrupt network services and maintain operational continuity for legitimate users.