CVE-2006-5875 in Enemies of Carlotta
Summary
by MITRE
eoc.py in Enemies of Carlotta (EoC) before 1.2.4 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters in an "SMTP level e-mail address".
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-5875 affects the Enemies of Carlotta game version 1.2.3 and earlier, specifically within the eoc.py script that handles email functionality. This represents a critical command injection flaw that enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary system commands on the affected system. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization of email addresses at the SMTP level, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject shell metacharacters into the email address field.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the game processes email addresses through the eoc.py script without properly escaping or filtering special shell characters such as semicolons, ampersands, or backticks. When an attacker submits a malicious email address containing these metacharacters, the system interprets them as shell commands rather than literal email address components. This primitive command injection vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the game, typically the system user or a dedicated game service account. The flaw operates at the application level where email address validation fails to properly sanitize input before being processed by underlying shell commands.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple command execution, as it provides attackers with persistent access to the compromised system. An attacker could potentially escalate privileges, install backdoors, or use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks within a network. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where the game might be running with elevated privileges, as it could enable full system compromise. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation does not require physical access to the system, making it a significant threat vector for network-based attacks.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on input validation and proper sanitization of all user-supplied data before processing. The primary fix involves implementing robust input filtering that removes or escapes shell metacharacters from email addresses before they are processed by system commands. Organizations should also consider implementing proper privilege separation where applications run with minimal required permissions, reducing the potential impact of successful exploitation. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-78 categories related to command injection flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter. Regular security updates and patch management processes should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future versions, while network segmentation and monitoring can help detect exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and input validation in preventing remote code execution through seemingly innocuous user interface elements.