CVE-2006-3489 in F-Secure
Summary
by MITRE
F-Secure Anti-Virus 2003 through 2006 and other versions, Internet Security 2003 through 2006, and Service Platform for Service Providers 6.x and earlier allows remote attackers to bypass anti-virus scanning via a crafted filename.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/07/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-3489 represents a significant security flaw in multiple versions of F-Secure's anti-virus software suite, specifically affecting F-Secure Anti-Virus versions 2003 through 2006, Internet Security versions 2003 through 2006, and Service Platform for Service Providers 6.x and earlier. This vulnerability operates at the core of the software's file scanning mechanism, creating a pathway for remote attackers to circumvent the protective measures that users expect from their anti-virus solutions. The flaw specifically exploits how the software processes and validates filenames during the scanning process, allowing malicious actors to craft filenames that will be ignored or improperly handled by the anti-virus engine.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the filename handling routines of the affected F-Secure products. Attackers can construct specially formatted filenames that exploit parsing inconsistencies or bypass mechanisms within the anti-virus scanning engine, effectively allowing malicious files to evade detection and potentially execute without proper security scanning. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-20 category of "Improper Input Validation" and represents a critical weakness in the software's defensive architecture. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require local access to the system to exploit it, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged through network-based attacks or by simply tricking users into downloading or executing malicious files with crafted names.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial, as it directly undermines the fundamental purpose of anti-virus software by allowing malicious code to bypass protection mechanisms. Organizations relying on affected F-Secure versions could experience unauthorized access, data breaches, and system compromise without detection, as the anti-virus software fails to properly scan files that exploit this vulnerability. The vulnerability creates a false sense of security for users who believe their systems are protected, while simultaneously providing attackers with a reliable method to deliver malware payloads. This weakness also has implications for compliance with security standards such as those outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001, as it represents a critical control failure in endpoint protection.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected F-Secure products to the latest available versions that contain proper filename validation and sanitization routines. System administrators should implement network-based monitoring to detect unusual file naming patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while also ensuring that all endpoints are updated with the latest security patches. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1566.001 for "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment", as attackers could leverage this weakness to deliver malicious payloads through crafted email attachments or web downloads. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing additional security layers such as application whitelisting, network segmentation, and enhanced file system monitoring to provide defense-in-depth against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security software and the critical need for proper input validation in security-critical applications to prevent attackers from bypassing fundamental protection mechanisms.