CVE-2005-2639 in Chris Moneymakers World Poker Championship
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Chris Moneymaker s World Poker Championship 1.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a long nickname.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-2639 represents a classic buffer overflow flaw within the World Poker Championship 1.0 software developed by Chris Moneymaker. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-121, which specifically addresses buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory regions. The flaw manifests in the application's handling of user input, particularly when processing nickname parameters during player registration or game session initialization.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the lack of proper input validation mechanisms within the software's client-side processing. When a remote attacker submits a specially crafted nickname string that exceeds the predetermined buffer size allocated for storing player identifiers, the application fails to properly handle the overflow condition. This uncontrolled memory corruption occurs because the software does not implement bounds checking or input length validation before copying user-provided data into fixed-size memory buffers. The vulnerability specifically targets the nickname field, which serves as a primary identifier within the poker application's user management system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable remote code execution, making it a critical security concern for the affected application. When exploited, the buffer overflow can cause the application to crash and terminate unexpectedly, resulting in service disruption for legitimate users. However, the more severe implication arises from the potential for arbitrary code execution, which would allow attackers to gain unauthorized control over the affected system. This capability transforms a simple denial of service into a full compromise scenario where attackers could execute malicious payloads with the privileges of the running application.
The attack vector for this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it operates over network connections, making it accessible to remote adversaries without requiring physical access to the target system. Attackers can simply connect to the poker application and submit a maliciously constructed nickname string, triggering the buffer overflow condition. The vulnerability affects the application's client-side processing, meaning that legitimate users who connect to the service could inadvertently trigger the exploit. This remote exploit capability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which describes the use of application execution through network-based attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention and implementation of multiple defensive measures. The most effective approach involves implementing proper bounds checking and input validation mechanisms within the application's nickname handling code. This includes enforcing maximum length restrictions on user-provided nicknames and implementing robust buffer management practices that prevent overflow conditions. Additionally, developers should employ stack canary techniques and address space layout randomization to make exploitation more difficult. The software should also implement proper error handling and graceful degradation mechanisms to prevent application crashes from occurring during exploit attempts. Regular security updates and patches should be deployed to address similar vulnerabilities in related software components, and network monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts.