CVE-2007-2983 in Bt Consumer Webhelper
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple buffer overflows in the British Telecommunications Consumer webhelper ActiveX control before 2.0.0.8 in btwebcontrol.dll allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-2983 affects the British Telecommunications Consumer webhelper ActiveX control, specifically targeting versions prior to 2.0.0.8. This ActiveX control, known as btwebcontrol.dll, represents a critical security flaw that exposes systems to remote code execution attacks. The vulnerability manifests through multiple buffer overflow conditions that occur when processing user-supplied input within the ActiveX control's memory management routines. These buffer overflows create opportunities for attackers to inject malicious code that can be executed with the privileges of the affected application, typically resulting in complete system compromise when the vulnerable control is loaded in Internet Explorer or other applications that support ActiveX components.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. The flaw occurs when the btwebcontrol.dll component fails to properly validate input lengths before copying data into fixed-size memory buffers, allowing attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in ActiveX contexts because ActiveX controls often run with elevated privileges and can interact directly with system resources. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the attack surface encompasses multiple input points within the control's functionality, making the vulnerability particularly difficult to fully mitigate through simple input validation alone.
Operationally, this vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise environments where legacy systems may still utilize the affected ActiveX control. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability through web-based delivery mechanisms, such as malicious websites or phishing emails that prompt users to load the vulnerable ActiveX component. Once executed, the remote code execution capability allows threat actors to establish persistent access, escalate privileges, and potentially move laterally within network environments. The impact extends beyond individual system compromise to include potential data exfiltration, system reconnaissance, and the establishment of backdoors. Security professionals must consider that ActiveX controls were largely deprecated in favor of more secure web technologies, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations maintaining legacy systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-2983 should prioritize immediate remediation through the installation of the vendor-supplied patch version 2.0.0.8 or later, which addresses the buffer overflow conditions through proper input validation and memory management. Organizations should implement browser security policies that disable ActiveX controls or restrict their execution to trusted sites only, following the principle of least privilege. Network-level protections including firewall rules and web application firewalls can help detect and block exploitation attempts, while endpoint detection and response solutions should monitor for suspicious process creation and memory modification patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing comprehensive vulnerability management programs, as it represents a classic example of how outdated ActiveX controls can create persistent security risks in enterprise environments, with implications for both the attack surface and the overall security posture of affected organizations.