CVE-2005-0967 in Gaim
Summary
by MITRE
Gaim 1.2.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a malformed file transfer request to a Jabber user, which leads to an out-of-bounds read.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0967 affects Gaim version 1.2.0, a popular instant messaging client that supported multiple protocols including Jabber. This flaw represents a classic buffer overflow condition that manifests as an out-of-bounds read, demonstrating a critical weakness in the application's input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically targets the file transfer functionality within the Jabber protocol implementation, where the application fails to properly validate incoming data structures during file transfer initiation requests.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker sends a malformed file transfer request to a targeted Jabber user who is running the vulnerable Gaim client. The malformed request contains data that, when processed by the application, causes the program to attempt reading memory locations beyond the bounds of allocated buffers. This out-of-bounds memory access results in an application crash, effectively causing a denial of service condition that disrupts normal communication for the affected user.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to users of the Gaim messaging platform, particularly in environments where persistent communication is critical. The denial of service impact means that legitimate users may experience interruptions in their messaging capabilities, potentially affecting business communications or personal relationships. The remote nature of the attack means that users need not be physically present or have direct access to the target system to exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions in software implementations. This weakness falls under the broader category of memory safety issues that have been extensively documented in the cybersecurity community. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the technique of "Exploitation for Defense Evasion" when attackers leverage such flaws to disrupt services, though in this case the primary impact is denial of service rather than information disclosure or privilege escalation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of the Gaim application to version 1.2.1 or later, which contained the necessary fixes for the buffer handling issues. System administrators should also implement network monitoring to detect anomalous file transfer requests that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of accepting file transfers from untrusted sources, as this vulnerability could potentially be leveraged in social engineering attacks. The incident underscores the importance of regular software updates and proper input validation in preventing memory safety vulnerabilities that can lead to application instability and denial of service conditions.