CVE-2007-4196 in The Slueth Kit
Summary
by MITRE
icat in Brian Carrier The Sleuth Kit (TSK) before 2.09 misinterprets a certain memory location as the holder of a loop iteration count, which allows user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service (long loop) and prevent examination of certain NTFS files via a malformed NTFS image.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4196 affects The Sleuth Kit (TSK) utility icat, a component used for extracting and examining file system data from disk images. This flaw exists in versions prior to 2.09 and represents a classic buffer over-read condition that manifests as an infinite loop scenario. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory locations during file system traversal operations, specifically within the NTFS file system parser where the loop iteration counter is incorrectly interpreted from a memory location that should not contain loop control data. This misinterpretation causes the program to enter a prolonged execution state where it continuously processes the same memory address without proper loop termination conditions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the icat utility's processing of NTFS file systems within disk images, where it encounters malformed or corrupted NTFS structures that trigger the flawed memory interpretation. When the utility encounters a specially crafted or corrupted NTFS image, the memory location intended for loop iteration counting becomes corrupted or improperly initialized, causing the loop to execute indefinitely. This particular flaw falls under CWE-126, memory access violations, and more specifically relates to improper loop termination conditions that can lead to denial of service scenarios. The vulnerability operates through a user-assisted remote attack vector, meaning that an attacker can craft a specific NTFS image file that when processed by the icat utility will trigger this infinite loop condition.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it effectively prevents forensic examination of critical NTFS file systems that may be part of larger digital forensics investigations. When an attacker or malicious actor provides a crafted NTFS image to a system running an affected version of TSK, the icat utility will hang indefinitely in the loop processing, consuming system resources and preventing further analysis of the disk image. This scenario is particularly problematic in digital forensics environments where investigators need to process multiple disk images and cannot afford system downtime or resource exhaustion. The vulnerability can be exploited in both local and remote scenarios, as any entity with access to provide a malicious NTFS image to the utility will be able to trigger this condition, making it a significant concern for forensic analysts and security professionals who rely on TSK for evidence examination.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve upgrading to The Sleuth Kit version 2.09 or later, where the memory handling and loop termination logic has been corrected. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and sanitization when processing disk images, ensuring that malformed or corrupted NTFS structures are detected and handled gracefully without causing indefinite loop conditions. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing resource monitoring to detect when processes become unresponsive due to infinite loops, and establish proper error handling procedures that can terminate problematic processes before they consume excessive system resources. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust memory management and loop validation in security-critical applications, particularly those used in digital forensics where system stability and reliability are paramount. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this vulnerability under T1489, Resource Hijacking, as it consumes system resources through the denial of service condition, and potentially T1566, Phishing, if the attack vector involves social engineering to deliver malicious disk images to targets.