CVE-2005-2370 in ekg
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple "memory alignment errors" in libgadu, as used in ekg before 1.6rc2, Gaim before 1.5.0, and other packages, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (bus error) on certain architectures such as SPARC via an incoming message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-2370 represents a critical memory alignment issue within the libgadu library that affects multiple instant messaging clients including ekg and Gaim. This flaw manifests as memory alignment errors that can be exploited by remote attackers to trigger system-level disruptions. The vulnerability specifically targets architectures that are sensitive to memory alignment requirements such as SPARC processors, where improper memory access patterns can result in bus errors that crash the affected applications.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in how the libgadu library handles incoming message data structures without proper validation of memory alignment requirements. When processing incoming messages, the library fails to ensure that data is properly aligned in memory according to the architectural requirements of the target system. This misalignment occurs during the parsing and handling of protocol messages, particularly when dealing with variable-length data fields or structured data that requires specific memory alignment for optimal processing. The flaw is categorized under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow condition that stems from improper memory access patterns, though it manifests as a denial of service rather than arbitrary code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can be leveraged by attackers to systematically crash messaging applications across affected platforms. Remote attackers can craft specially formatted incoming messages that, when processed by vulnerable clients, cause the application to encounter memory alignment faults. These faults result in bus errors that force the application to terminate unexpectedly, effectively creating a denial of service condition that prevents legitimate users from accessing messaging services. The vulnerability affects not just individual users but can potentially be exploited at scale against multiple targets within a network, particularly in environments where these legacy messaging clients are actively deployed.
The attack surface for this vulnerability encompasses any system running affected versions of ekg, Gaim, or other applications that utilize the vulnerable libgadu library. Systems using SPARC architecture are particularly at risk due to their strict memory alignment requirements, though the vulnerability may also manifest on other architectures with similar constraints. The exploitation requires minimal privileges as attackers only need to send malicious messages to the target system, making this a particularly concerning vulnerability for public messaging services or systems where untrusted users can send messages. Organizations should consider implementing network-level mitigations such as message filtering or rate limiting to reduce the risk of exploitation while applying the appropriate patches to resolve the underlying memory alignment issues in the affected libraries.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected applications to versions that contain proper memory alignment handling. System administrators should ensure that all instances of ekg, Gaim, and other affected clients are updated to versions that address the memory alignment errors in libgadu. Additionally, implementing network security controls such as message validation and filtering can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices in network protocols and highlights the need for thorough testing of protocol implementations across different architectures. Organizations should also conduct inventory assessments to identify all systems using affected software versions and prioritize remediation efforts accordingly to prevent potential exploitation by adversaries seeking to disrupt messaging services through denial of service attacks.