CVE-2005-0875 in Trillian
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple buffer overflows in the Yahoo plug-in for Trillian 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1 allow remote web servers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a long string in an HTTP 1.1 response header.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0875 represents a critical buffer overflow issue affecting the Yahoo plug-in component of Trillian instant messaging clients version 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1. This flaw resides in the client-side application's handling of HTTP response headers, specifically when processing the Yahoo messaging protocol through the Trillian interface. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic buffer overflow condition where insufficient input validation allows malicious actors to craft HTTP responses that exceed the allocated buffer space, leading to memory corruption and application instability. The affected software architecture processes incoming HTTP 1.1 response headers without proper bounds checking, creating an exploitable condition that can be triggered by remote web servers. This issue falls under the CWE-121 buffer overflow category, specifically manifesting as a stack-based buffer overflow that occurs during the processing of user-supplied data within the messaging plugin context. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it operates at the application layer, requiring no local privileges or specialized equipment to exploit, making it accessible to any remote attacker capable of controlling HTTP response content.
The technical execution of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of HTTP response headers sent by malicious web servers to the Trillian client application. When the Yahoo plug-in receives an HTTP 1.1 response containing an excessively long string within the header fields, the application's parsing routine fails to validate the input length against predetermined buffer boundaries. This lack of input sanitization causes the program to write beyond allocated memory space, potentially overwriting adjacent memory structures including return addresses, function pointers, or other critical program state information. The overflow condition results in unpredictable program behavior, typically manifesting as application crashes or complete system hangs. The vulnerability is classified under the ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves exploiting software vulnerabilities to cause application crashes or denial of service conditions. The memory corruption pattern suggests that the buffer overflow occurs during the parsing of the HTTP header field values, particularly when the application attempts to store or process the malformed header content in internal data structures. This type of vulnerability represents a fundamental flaw in the input validation and memory management practices within the Trillian plugin architecture, where the developers failed to implement proper bounds checking mechanisms for user-controllable input data.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-0875 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable more sophisticated attack vectors when combined with other vulnerabilities. While the immediate effect is application instability and service disruption, the buffer overflow condition creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate program execution flow or potentially execute arbitrary code if proper memory protection mechanisms are not in place. The vulnerability affects a widely deployed instant messaging client that was popular among enterprise and individual users, amplifying the potential attack surface and impact scope. Organizations relying on Trillian for communication services would experience service interruptions and potential data loss when the application crashes, particularly in environments where continuous communication availability is critical. The vulnerability also demonstrates poor software security practices in the context of network protocol handling, where HTTP response processing lacks proper security controls that would be expected in modern application development. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where Trillian might be used for business communications, as the denial of service could disrupt critical business operations and communication workflows. Additionally, the vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions (2.0, 3.0, and 3.1) indicates a systemic issue in the plugin architecture that was not adequately addressed through version updates, suggesting a lack of proper security testing and code review processes during the software development lifecycle. This vulnerability exemplifies the importance of implementing defensive programming practices and adhering to secure coding guidelines that prevent buffer overflow conditions through proper input validation and memory management techniques. The flaw also highlights the risks associated with third-party plugin components in instant messaging applications, where external code integration creates additional attack vectors that may not receive the same level of security scrutiny as core application components.