CVE-2007-3480 in WinDEV
Summary
by MITRE
PCSoft WinDEV 11 (01F110053p) allows user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop and resource consumption) via a malformed WDP project file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3480 affects PCSoft WinDEV 11 version 01F110053p, representing a significant security flaw in the application development environment that could be exploited by remote attackers to disrupt system operations. This issue manifests through a specific weakness in the software's handling of project files, specifically when processing malformed WDP project files that contain crafted malicious data structures. The vulnerability falls under the category of denial of service attacks where the target system becomes unresponsive due to resource exhaustion rather than complete system compromise. The flaw exists within the file parsing mechanism of the WinDEV development environment, which fails to properly validate or sanitize input data from project files before processing them.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the WDP file parser component of the WinDEV application. When a maliciously crafted WDP file is loaded into the development environment, the parser encounters malformed data structures that trigger an infinite loop condition within the application's processing logic. This infinite loop causes continuous resource consumption as the system repeatedly processes the same invalid data without proper termination conditions. The vulnerability is classified as user-assisted remote exploitation because the attacker must convince a user to open the malicious project file, but once opened, the attack can be executed remotely without requiring additional privileges or direct system access. This type of attack aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers buffer overflow vulnerabilities in heap-based memory allocations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially affect developer productivity and system availability within organizations that rely on WinDEV for application development. When exploited, the infinite loop causes the development environment to consume excessive CPU resources and memory, potentially leading to system slowdowns or complete application hangs that prevent legitimate development work from proceeding. This type of denial of service attack can be particularly damaging in development environments where multiple developers may be working simultaneously, as it could affect the entire team's workflow. The vulnerability also represents a potential vector for resource exhaustion attacks that could be combined with other techniques to amplify their impact. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004, which covers network denial of service, and T1566.002, which involves spearphishing with social engineering techniques used to deliver the malicious project file.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and sanitization within the application's file processing components. Organizations should ensure that all project files are validated against known good formats before processing, and implement timeout mechanisms to prevent infinite loops from consuming system resources indefinitely. The most effective long-term solution involves updating to a patched version of PCSoft WinDEV that addresses the specific parsing vulnerability in the WDP file handler. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access controls can help limit the potential impact of such attacks by restricting who can access the development environment and potentially deliver malicious project files. Regular security assessments of development tools and environments are crucial to identify similar vulnerabilities that could be exploited in other applications within the software development lifecycle.