CVE-2006-5916 in VirusBarrier
Summary
by MITRE
Intego VirusBarrier X4 allows context-dependent attackers to bypass virus protection by quickly injecting many infected files into the filesystem, which prevents VirusBarrier from processing all the files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2026
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-5916 represents a significant weakness in the Intego VirusBarrier X4 antivirus solution that directly impacts its core protective functionality. This issue stems from a fundamental design flaw in how the antivirus software handles file system monitoring and virus scanning operations. The vulnerability operates under a race condition scenario where malicious actors can exploit the timing gap between file creation and antivirus processing, effectively creating a window of opportunity for malware to evade detection. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of race condition attacks as defined by CWE-362, where concurrent operations create security weaknesses that can be exploited by adversaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability relies on the attacker's ability to rapidly inject numerous infected files into the system's file structure within a timeframe that exceeds the antivirus software's processing capabilities. VirusBarrier X4 employs a real-time monitoring system that continuously scans files as they are created or modified, but the software's architecture fails to maintain consistent protection when faced with high-volume file injection attacks. This limitation creates a scenario where the antivirus engine becomes overwhelmed and unable to process each individual file in the queue, resulting in infected files slipping through the security gap undetected. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insufficient input validation and processing capacity limitations that can be exploited to bypass security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple malware evasion to potentially compromise entire system security postures. When an attacker successfully bypasses the antivirus protection through rapid file injection, they gain an opportunity to establish persistent malware presence on the system without triggering security alerts. This type of attack vector can enable malicious actors to deploy rootkits, backdoors, or other advanced persistent threats that would otherwise be detected by normal antivirus scanning procedures. The vulnerability also demonstrates how system performance limitations can be weaponized to create security gaps, representing a significant concern for enterprise environments where multiple simultaneous file operations might occur during normal business processes. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques involving process injection and privilege escalation, as the bypassed protection allows for more sophisticated attack progression.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing rate limiting mechanisms and improving the antivirus software's file processing capabilities to handle high-volume injection scenarios. System administrators should consider implementing additional security layers beyond traditional antivirus solutions, including behavioral monitoring and network-based intrusion detection systems that can detect anomalous file creation patterns. The solution involves enhancing the software's ability to queue and process files efficiently while maintaining real-time protection capabilities. Organizations should also implement monitoring systems that can detect rapid file injection patterns and alert security teams to potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular updates and patches to the antivirus software should be prioritized to address known limitations in file processing and queue management, ensuring that the protection mechanisms can scale appropriately with system usage patterns and potential attack vectors.