CVE-2006-0765 in ICQ
Summary
by MITRE
GUI display truncation vulnerability in ICQ Inc. (formerly Mirabilis) ICQ 2003a, 2003b, Lite 4.0, Lite 4.1, and possibly other Windows versions allows user-assisted remote attackers to hide malicious file extensions, bypass Windows security warnings via a filename that is all uppercase and of a specific length, which truncates the malicious extension from the display and could trick a user into executing arbitrary programs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-0765 represents a critical graphical user interface display truncation flaw that affected multiple versions of ICQ messaging software from ICQ Inc. This security weakness specifically targeted the Windows versions of ICQ 2003a, 2003b, Lite 4.0, and Lite 4.1, creating a significant attack vector for malicious actors seeking to compromise user systems. The flaw operates through a carefully crafted filename manipulation technique that exploits how the application displays file extensions in its graphical interface, allowing attackers to conceal dangerous file types from users who might otherwise be cautious about executing unknown programs. The vulnerability is classified as a user-assisted remote attack, meaning that successful exploitation requires some form of user interaction or deception to occur.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves a specific filename construction that leverages the Windows file system's display limitations and the ICQ application's handling of file names. When a filename is constructed with all uppercase letters and reaches a precise length, the GUI truncation behavior causes the malicious file extension to be cut off from the display interface. This occurs because the application's user interface has a predetermined width limit for displaying filenames, and when the filename exceeds this threshold, the extension becomes visually hidden from the user's view. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it directly manipulates the user's visual perception of file types, effectively bypassing Windows security warnings that would normally alert users to potentially harmful file extensions. This behavior falls under the CWE-158 weakness category, which deals with improper handling of filenames and pathnames that can lead to security issues.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple file execution, creating a sophisticated social engineering attack vector that could be leveraged in various malicious scenarios. Attackers could craft filenames such as "DOCUMENT.PDF.EXE" or similar combinations where the extension truncation makes the file appear as a legitimate document rather than an executable program. This manipulation could lead to users unknowingly executing malicious code when they click on what appears to be a safe document file. The vulnerability particularly affects users who rely on visual cues to identify file types, as the truncation effectively removes the visual warning that would normally alert them to the presence of an executable extension. This type of attack maps directly to the ATT&CK technique T1204.002, which involves user execution through social engineering techniques that manipulate user perception or trust.
The security implications of CVE-2006-0765 are particularly concerning given that the affected ICQ versions were widely used instant messaging platforms that many users trusted for communication. The vulnerability essentially creates a false sense of security by hiding malicious file extensions in the GUI display, making it appear as though users are dealing with benign files when they are actually interacting with potentially harmful executables. This flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in the security model of the application's user interface, where visual representation does not accurately reflect the underlying file system information. Users who might normally be cautious about executing unknown files could be deceived into running malicious programs when the extension is visually obscured. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and display handling in GUI applications, as the issue stems from the application's failure to properly account for display limitations when presenting file information to users. Organizations and individual users who had these vulnerable versions of ICQ installed were at significant risk of compromise through social engineering attacks that exploited this specific GUI truncation behavior, making it a critical security concern for the time period when it was discovered.