CVE-2007-4254 in Visual Studio
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in a certain ActiveX control in VDT70.DLL in Microsoft Visual Database Tools Database Designer 7.0 for Microsoft Visual Studio 6 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long argument to the NotSafe method. NOTE: this may overlap CVE-2007-2885 or CVE-2005-2127.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-4254 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow condition within the VDT70.DLL component of Microsoft Visual Database Tools Database Designer 7.0, which is part of the Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 ecosystem. This flaw exists within an ActiveX control that is designed to facilitate database design and development activities within the Visual Studio environment. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the NotSafe method receives an excessively long argument, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to gain unauthorized code execution privileges. The ActiveX control's implementation fails to properly validate input parameters, allowing malicious data to overflow the allocated stack buffer and potentially overwrite adjacent memory regions including return addresses and control data structures.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a classic stack-based buffer overflow pattern that aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite stack data. The NotSafe method in VDT70.DLL serves as the attack vector where an attacker can craft a malicious argument that exceeds the buffer's allocated size, causing the stack to overflow and potentially redirect program execution to malicious code. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows for arbitrary code execution without requiring authentication or local access, making it a prime target for remote exploitation. The overflow occurs in a manner that can be directly controlled by the attacker, who can manipulate the argument length to overwrite the return address on the stack, thereby redirecting execution flow to attacker-controlled code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it represents a significant threat to the security of development environments where Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 is deployed. Organizations that maintain legacy development systems using this version of Visual Studio face potential compromise of their entire development infrastructure, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain elevated privileges on the development machine. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access or network proximity to the target system, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where development machines might be exposed to external networks. The overlap with CVE-2007-2885 and CVE-2005-2127 indicates that this represents a broader class of vulnerabilities affecting Visual Studio components, suggesting that multiple related attack surfaces may be similarly compromised and requiring comprehensive remediation strategies.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-4254 should focus on immediate patching and system hardening measures, as the vulnerability represents a known exploit that has been documented and potentially weaponized. Microsoft has released security updates for Visual Studio 6.0 and related components that address this specific buffer overflow condition, and organizations should prioritize applying these patches to all affected systems. Additionally, administrators should implement network segmentation to isolate development environments from production networks, employ application whitelisting to prevent execution of untrusted ActiveX controls, and deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and bounds checking in software development practices, as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework's application layer exploitation techniques. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of Visual Studio 6.0 installations and related ActiveX controls, as the vulnerability may also affect other Microsoft products that utilize the same VDT70.DLL component, requiring comprehensive remediation across the entire software ecosystem.