CVE-2005-2670 in ViRobot Expert
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in HAURI Anti-Virus products including ViRobot Expert 4.0, Advanced Server, Linux Server 2.0, and LiveCall allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via ".." sequences in filenames contained in (1) ACE, (2) ARJ, (3) CAB, (4) LZH, (5) RAR, (6) TAR and (7) ZIP files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-2670 represents a critical directory traversal flaw affecting multiple HAURI Anti-Virus products including ViRobot Expert 4.0, Advanced Server, Linux Server 2.0, and LiveCall implementations. This security weakness stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the decompression and file extraction processes of these antivirus solutions. The flaw specifically manifests when processing archive files using seven different compression formats including ACE, ARJ, CAB, LZH, RAR, TAR, and ZIP file types, making it particularly dangerous due to the widespread use of these formats across various operating systems and platforms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of filename sequences containing ".." characters within compressed archives. When these maliciously crafted filenames are processed by the affected antivirus software, the system fails to properly sanitize or validate the paths, allowing attackers to traverse directory structures and write files to arbitrary locations on the target system. This directory traversal capability enables attackers to overwrite existing system files, inject malicious code, or create new files with elevated privileges, depending on the permissions of the antivirus service account. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-22 - Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, which is a well-established weakness in software security design patterns.
Operationally, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on HAURI Anti-Virus products for endpoint protection. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous in environments where antivirus software runs with elevated privileges. The impact extends beyond simple file overwrites to include potential system compromise through the creation of malicious executables, modification of system binaries, or the establishment of persistent backdoors. Security analysts should note that this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, as attackers may leverage the ability to overwrite system files to deploy PowerShell-based payloads or establish persistence mechanisms through modified system components.
Organizations must implement immediate mitigations including applying available vendor patches, restricting antivirus software from processing untrusted archive files, implementing network segmentation to limit exposure, and monitoring for suspicious file extraction activities. System administrators should also consider disabling decompression capabilities for untrusted files and implementing strict file path validation policies. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input sanitization in security software, as antivirus solutions themselves can become attack vectors when proper validation mechanisms are absent. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected HAURI products and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place to prevent similar weaknesses in other security tools.