CVE-2005-1262 in Gaim
Summary
by MITRE
Gaim 1.2.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a malformed MSN message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/01/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1262 affects Gaim versions 1.2.1 and earlier, representing a significant denial of service flaw within the instant messaging client. This vulnerability specifically targets the MSN messaging protocol implementation within the Gaim application, which was a popular multi-protocol instant messaging client that supported various messaging services including AIM, ICQ, and MSN. The flaw arises from inadequate input validation and message parsing mechanisms that fail to properly handle malformed MSN messages received from remote attackers. When a maliciously crafted MSN message is processed by the vulnerable Gaim client, it triggers an application crash that results in a complete denial of service for the affected user. This vulnerability demonstrates a classic buffer overflow or memory corruption issue that occurs during the parsing of structured message data, where the application does not validate the integrity or expected format of incoming MSN protocol messages before attempting to process them. The impact extends beyond simple application instability as it can be exploited by remote attackers to disrupt communication services for targeted users, effectively preventing them from engaging in normal messaging activities through the compromised client.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers buffer overflow vulnerabilities in stack-based memory structures. The flaw operates at the protocol parsing layer where the application receives and interprets MSN message formats without sufficient validation checks. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a persistent threat as attackers can repeatedly send malformed messages to cause repeated application crashes, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users rely heavily on instant messaging for business communications. The exploit requires minimal technical skill to execute, as it only requires sending a specially crafted MSN message to a target user, making it an attractive vector for attackers seeking to disrupt communications. This vulnerability also reflects poor defensive programming practices that fail to implement proper error handling and input sanitization, which are fundamental security principles recommended by the Open Web Application Security Project and other industry standards. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not need physical access to the target system or network proximity, as they can simply send malicious messages through the normal MSN messaging infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-1262 involve immediate patching of the Gaim client to version 1.2.2 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for proper message validation and parsing. System administrators should implement network-level filtering to block suspicious MSN message patterns and consider deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on malformed message traffic. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures for handling such denial of service attacks and implement application hardening measures that include input validation, memory protection mechanisms, and proper error handling routines. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and regular security updates, as recommended by the Center for Internet Security and NIST guidelines for application security. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of accepting messages from untrusted sources and the importance of keeping instant messaging clients updated with the latest security patches. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and T1071.004, which involves application layer protocol usage. The vulnerability also demonstrates the need for proper software security testing including fuzzing and input validation testing to identify similar issues in other messaging applications and protocols.