CVE-2007-2974 in Antivir Antivirus
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the file parsing engine in Avira Antivir Antivirus before 7.03.00.09 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted LZH archive file, resulting from an "integer cast around."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-2974 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within Avira Antivir Antivirus software versions prior to 7.03.00.09. This flaw exists within the file parsing engine responsible for processing archive files, specifically targeting LZH (Lempel-Ziv-Huffman) archive formats that are commonly used for data compression and distribution. The vulnerability stems from an integer cast around issue that occurs during the parsing process, where the software fails to properly validate or handle integer values when processing archive metadata. This particular implementation flaw allows an attacker to craft a malicious LZH archive file that, when processed by the vulnerable antivirus software, triggers a buffer overflow condition. The buffer overflow occurs when the software attempts to write data beyond the allocated memory boundaries, potentially overwriting adjacent memory locations and executing arbitrary code with the privileges of the antivirus process.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to create a specially crafted LZH archive file that contains malformed data structures designed to trigger the integer cast around condition. When the vulnerable Avira Antivirus software processes this malicious file, the parsing engine performs an integer conversion that results in an unexpectedly large value being used as a buffer size or index. This causes the software to allocate insufficient memory or access memory locations outside the intended buffer boundaries, leading to memory corruption. The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows remote code execution without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond the simple act of opening or scanning the malicious archive file. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where antivirus software automatically scans downloaded files or archives received through email attachments or file sharing systems.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios, as the memory corruption can occur in both stack and heap memory regions during the parsing operation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for command and script interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, as the successful exploitation would allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code within the context of the antivirus service. The vulnerability also relates to T1566 for malicious file delivery through email or web-based attacks, as the malicious LZH file could be delivered via email attachments or web downloads. Organizations using vulnerable versions of Avira Antivir Antivirus face significant risk of compromise, as the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without user interaction, making it particularly attractive to threat actors targeting enterprise environments. The integer cast around issue represents a classic software development flaw that demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and integer overflow protection in security-critical applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-2974 require immediate patching of all affected Avira Antivir Antivirus installations to version 7.03.00.09 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the buffer overflow condition. System administrators should also implement network-based protections such as email filtering and web content filtering to prevent users from accessing or executing potentially malicious LZH archive files. Additional defensive measures include disabling automatic scanning of archive files when possible, implementing strict file type validation, and monitoring for unusual antivirus behavior or memory access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of unknown or untrusted archive files, and conduct regular security assessments to identify other potential buffer overflow vulnerabilities in their antivirus and security software stack. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper integer handling and memory management in security software, as even well-established antivirus solutions can contain fundamental flaws that compromise system security when processing malicious input data.