CVE-2006-0045 in crawl
Summary
by MITRE
crawl before 4.0.0 does not securely call programs when saving and loading games, which allows local users to gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-0045 affects the crawl game engine version 4.0.0 and earlier, presenting a significant security flaw in how the software handles program execution during game save and load operations. This issue stems from insecure execution practices that permit local attackers to escalate their privileges within the system. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the game engine performs operations that involve calling external programs or executing system commands during the saving and loading of game states.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of system calls and program execution within the crawl engine's save and load mechanisms. When users attempt to save or load game progress, the software executes external commands without adequate input validation or privilege separation. This insecure programming practice creates an opportunity for malicious users to inject arbitrary commands that can be executed with elevated privileges. The flaw represents a classic case of insecure program execution where user-controllable input directly influences system command invocation, potentially allowing privilege escalation attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses a serious threat to systems running affected versions of the crawl game engine. Local users who can access the game environment can exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary code with higher privileges than initially granted. The impact extends beyond simple game manipulation as it provides a pathway for attackers to potentially compromise the entire system. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within the context of a legitimate application, making detection more challenging for security monitoring systems. The privilege escalation capability means that an attacker could potentially gain administrative access to the system, leading to full system compromise.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-78, which addresses "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command," and represents a specific instance of command injection flaws that can lead to privilege escalation. From the ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques where adversaries leverage insecure program execution to gain elevated system access. The attack surface is primarily limited to local users who have access to the affected application, but the potential for system compromise makes this a critical issue that requires immediate attention.
Mitigation strategies should focus on updating to version 4.0.0 or later of the crawl game engine where the vulnerability has been addressed. System administrators should implement proper input validation and sanitization for all external command execution points within the application. Additionally, privilege separation mechanisms should be enforced to ensure that game operations run with minimal necessary privileges. Regular security audits of application code should be conducted to identify similar insecure execution patterns that could lead to privilege escalation vulnerabilities. Network segmentation and access controls can also help limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities by restricting local access to affected systems.