CVE-2006-6340 in nView
Summary
by MITRE
keystone.exe in nVIDIA nView allows attackers to cause a denial of service via a long command line argument. NOTE: it is not clear whether this issue crosses security boundaries. If not, then this is not a vulnerability.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-6340 affects the keystone.exe component within nVIDIA nView software, representing a classic buffer overflow condition that manifests through excessive command line argument processing. This issue resides in the nVIDIA nView desktop management utility suite, which provides users with enhanced display configuration and window management capabilities across multiple monitors. The vulnerability specifically targets the keystone.exe executable, which serves as a core component responsible for system integration and management functions within the nVIDIA desktop environment.
The technical flaw occurs when the keystone.exe process receives command line arguments that exceed the allocated buffer space, leading to a potential stack overflow condition that can cause the application to terminate unexpectedly. This behavior constitutes a denial of service vulnerability where an attacker can craft malicious command line inputs to trigger the overflow, resulting in the application crashing or becoming unresponsive. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a typical example of improper input validation in system-level executables.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for nVIDIA nView users who may be targeted by adversaries seeking to disrupt desktop management functionality. The denial of service condition affects the keystone.exe process which serves as a critical integration point for nVIDIA desktop features, potentially rendering display management tools unusable and impacting user productivity. The vulnerability's potential to cross security boundaries remains uncertain as noted in the original description, which suggests it may not represent a true security vulnerability if it cannot be exploited to gain unauthorized access or escalate privileges.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends to any user who executes the keystone.exe process with maliciously crafted command line arguments, potentially through social engineering techniques or by exploiting other system vulnerabilities that might lead to command execution. According to ATT&CK framework considerations, this vulnerability aligns with techniques involving process injection and privilege escalation, though the exact attack vectors depend on whether the vulnerability can be leveraged beyond simple denial of service. Security professionals should consider this issue within the broader context of application hardening and input validation practices. Mitigation strategies include implementing proper bounds checking for command line arguments, applying available vendor patches, and monitoring for suspicious process execution patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.