CVE-2005-1808 in Stronghold 2
Summary
by MITRE
Firefly Studios Stronghold 2 1.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a packet with a large size value for the nickname, which causes a memory allocation failure and generates an exception.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/25/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1808 affects Firefly Studios Stronghold 2 version 1.2 and earlier, representing a critical denial of service flaw that can be exploited remotely by attackers. This issue specifically targets the game's network communication protocol where it fails to properly validate incoming packet data, particularly the nickname field within network packets. The vulnerability manifests when an attacker crafts a malicious packet containing an excessively large size value for the nickname field, which triggers abnormal behavior in the game's memory management system. This particular flaw falls under the category of improper input validation and memory handling, which aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow conditions. The vulnerability exists within the game's multiplayer networking implementation where it attempts to allocate memory based on the size value provided in the nickname field without proper bounds checking.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can be leveraged to crash the game client or server, effectively rendering the multiplayer functionality unusable for legitimate players. When the malformed packet is received, the application attempts to allocate an excessive amount of memory based on the inflated size value, leading to memory allocation failures that generate unhandled exceptions. This type of vulnerability can be particularly dangerous in multiplayer gaming environments where servers are constantly processing network traffic from multiple clients. The flaw can be exploited by any remote attacker who has access to the network communication channel, making it a significant concern for online gaming platforms that rely on stable network protocols. The vulnerability demonstrates poor error handling practices and lacks proper defensive programming measures that would normally protect against malformed data inputs.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability represents a classic example of how network protocols can be exploited to cause denial of service conditions without requiring authentication or advanced exploitation techniques. The attack vector is straightforward and can be executed using basic network packet crafting tools, making it accessible to a wide range of threat actors. The vulnerability's impact is consistent with ATT&CK technique T1498, which focuses on network denial of service attacks, and T1072, which addresses software deployment methods that can be exploited to deliver malicious payloads. The memory allocation failure creates a predictable crash condition that can be reliably reproduced, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking to disrupt gaming services. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing robust input validation mechanisms and proper exception handling in networked applications, particularly those that process untrusted data from external sources. Organizations and game developers should implement proper bounds checking, memory allocation limits, and defensive programming practices to prevent similar issues from occurring in future software releases.