CVE-2007-0708 in Firewall Pro
Summary
by MITRE
cmdmon.sys in Comodo Firewall Pro (formerly Comodo Personal Firewall) before 2.4.16.174 does not validate arguments that originate in user mode for the (1) NtConnectPort and (2) NtCreatePort hooked SSDT functions, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (system crash) and possibly gain privileges via invalid arguments.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0708 resides within the cmdmon.sys kernel driver component of Comodo Firewall Pro, a popular personal firewall solution that was widely deployed in enterprise and consumer environments during the mid-2000s. This driver operates at kernel level within the Windows operating system and implements security monitoring functions through Windows System Call Interception mechanisms. The specific flaw manifests in the driver's handling of two critical Windows NT system calls: NtConnectPort and NtCreatePort, which are part of the Windows Object Manager's inter-process communication infrastructure. These functions are hooked within the SSDT (System Service Descriptor Table) to intercept and monitor port-related operations, a common technique for implementing security monitoring capabilities in kernel-mode drivers.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the kernel driver's hooked system call handlers. When user-mode applications invoke NtConnectPort or NtCreatePort functions, the cmdmon.sys driver receives these calls and processes the associated arguments without proper validation of their legitimacy or bounds. This lack of argument sanitization creates a classic buffer overflow condition and potential privilege escalation vector. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within kernel space where any malformed input can lead to system instability or complete compromise. The flaw allows local attackers with minimal privileges to craft malicious arguments that trigger invalid memory accesses or invalid state transitions within the kernel driver, potentially causing system crashes or enabling privilege escalation attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it represents a significant security weakness in a firewall solution designed to protect systems from external threats. The local privilege escalation aspect means that an attacker with basic user-level access could potentially elevate their privileges to kernel level, gaining complete system control. This creates a serious risk for organizations relying on Comodo Firewall Pro, as the vulnerability effectively provides an attack vector that bypasses the very security controls the software is meant to provide. The vulnerability affects versions prior to 2.4.16.174, indicating that Comodo was aware of the issue and released a patch to address the problem, though many systems may have remained unpatched for extended periods. This type of vulnerability directly relates to CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions, both of which are common in kernel-mode driver development when proper input validation is omitted.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of all affected Comodo Firewall Pro installations to version 2.4.16.174 or later, as this represents the official fix provided by the vendor. System administrators should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running vulnerable versions of the software and prioritize patching efforts accordingly. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts through abnormal system call patterns or unexpected kernel crashes. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques such as privilege escalation through kernel exploits and defense evasion via system service manipulation. Organizations should implement additional security controls including kernel-mode exploit detection systems, process monitoring for suspicious driver activity, and regular security audits of installed security software to prevent similar issues in other components. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of proper input validation in kernel-mode drivers and demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation flaws can create significant security risks in security-critical software components.