CVE-2005-3235 in Protector Plus
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple interpretation error in unspecified versions of Proland Protector Plus 2000 Antivirus allows remote attackers to bypass virus detection via a malicious executable in a specially crafted RAR file with malformed central and local headers, which can still be opened by products such as Winrar and PowerZip, even though they are rejected as corrupted by Winzip and BitZipper.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-3235 represents a critical flaw in the Proland Protector Plus 2000 Antivirus software that demonstrates a fundamental weakness in archive file processing and malware detection mechanisms. This issue stems from an improper interpretation of RAR file structures, specifically affecting how the antivirus software handles malformed central and local headers within compressed archives. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of archive format parsing and security validation, creating a significant bypass opportunity for malicious actors seeking to evade detection. The flaw is particularly concerning because it exploits the gap between different archive extraction tools' tolerance levels for corrupted files, where some applications like Winrar and PowerZip accept the malformed archives while others such as Winzip and BitZipper reject them as corrupted.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a specific parsing error within the antivirus software's RAR file handling routine. When processing a specially crafted RAR file with malformed headers, the Proland Protector Plus 2000 Antivirus fails to properly validate the archive structure, leading to a misinterpretation of the file content. This misinterpretation occurs during the header parsing phase where the software's internal logic does not adequately check for or reject malformed central and local headers that would normally trigger a corruption detection mechanism. The vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-129, which deals with insufficient validation of the length of input, and more specifically relates to improper input validation within archive processing functions. The error demonstrates a classic case of inadequate boundary checking and validation in archive file parsing, where the software assumes that valid RAR structures will always conform to expected formats without proper verification of header integrity.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a substantial risk for organizations relying on Proland Protector Plus 2000 for malware protection. Attackers can exploit this weakness by creating malicious executables embedded within RAR archives that contain carefully crafted malformed headers designed to bypass the antivirus detection mechanisms while remaining functional in legitimate archive extraction tools. This creates a sophisticated attack vector that leverages the trust relationship between archive tools and antivirus software, allowing malicious code to execute without triggering security alerts. The impact extends beyond simple malware delivery as it represents a complete bypass of the antivirus's detection capabilities for specific file types, potentially allowing attackers to maintain persistence within networks while remaining undetected. The vulnerability also demonstrates how seemingly benign archive processing functions can become security gateways when proper validation is absent, creating a potential attack surface that could be exploited in targeted campaigns or mass deployment scenarios.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate software-specific issue and broader security practices within organizations. Organizations should immediately upgrade to newer versions of antivirus software that have corrected this parsing error and implemented proper validation of RAR file headers. The fix typically involves implementing comprehensive header validation routines that check for proper structure alignment, length consistency, and integrity verification before processing any archive content. Security teams should also implement additional layers of protection including network-based malware detection, behavioral analysis of suspicious archive extraction activities, and regular security assessments of all archive processing tools within the organization. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers the use of scripting languages for execution, as attackers may leverage the bypassed detection to execute malicious code through archive extraction processes. Organizations should also consider implementing network traffic analysis to monitor for suspicious archive file transfers and ensure that all archive processing tools maintain consistent security postures to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in other software components.