CVE-2005-2810 in urban
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in urban before 1.5.3 allow local users to gain privileges via a long HOME environment variable to (1) config.cc, (2) game.cc, (3) highscor.cc, or (4) meny.cc.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-2810 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow issue affecting the urban game software version 1.5.2 and earlier. This flaw resides in the software's handling of environment variables, specifically the HOME variable, which is commonly used by Unix-like operating systems to determine user home directories. The vulnerability manifests in four distinct source files within the urban codebase: config.cc, game.cc, highscor.cc, and meny.cc, indicating a widespread issue that affects multiple components of the application's functionality.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the lack of proper bounds checking when processing the HOME environment variable. When a local user provides an excessively long HOME variable value, the program fails to validate the input length before copying it onto the stack, resulting in a buffer overflow condition. This stack corruption can overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses, function pointers, and other critical program state information. The buffer overflow occurs because the code uses unsafe string handling functions that do not perform adequate length validation before copying data to fixed-size stack buffers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows local users to escalate their privileges within the system. An attacker who can manipulate the HOME environment variable can potentially overwrite the stack contents to redirect program execution flow, enabling them to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the targeted process. This privilege escalation capability makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where local access might be restricted but still available. The vulnerability affects the entire urban game application, making it a target for various attack vectors that could lead to system compromise.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which describes buffer overflow conditions where data is copied into a stack buffer without proper bounds checking, leading to memory corruption. The attack pattern follows typical privilege escalation techniques described in MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1068, which covers privilege escalation through local exploitation. The vulnerability's exploitation requires local access and leverages environment variable manipulation, which is a common technique in local privilege escalation attacks. Organizations should prioritize patching this vulnerability as it represents a fundamental security flaw that can be exploited by any local user with minimal technical expertise. The recommended mitigation involves updating to urban version 1.5.3 or later, where proper bounds checking has been implemented to prevent buffer overflow conditions. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing environment variable restrictions and monitoring for unusual HOME variable lengths to detect potential exploitation attempts.