CVE-2007-4401 in Advanced Integration Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple CRLF injection vulnerabilities in the Advanced mIRC Integration Plugin and possibly other unspecified scripts in mIRC allow user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary IRC commands via CRLF sequences in the name of the song in a .mp3 file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/30/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4401 represents a critical CRLF injection flaw within the Advanced mIRC Integration Plugin and potentially other mIRC scripting components. This vulnerability resides in the handling of media file metadata, specifically the song name field within .mp3 files, where the application fails to properly sanitize input before processing it within IRC command contexts. The issue stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of user-supplied data that flows into the IRC protocol layer, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject malicious command sequences.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a specially formatted .mp3 file containing CRLF (Carriage Return Line Feed) sequences within the song name metadata field. When mIRC processes this file through the vulnerable plugin, the application treats the injected CRLF characters as command terminators, allowing the attacker to inject arbitrary IRC commands that execute within the context of the mIRC client. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-117, which describes improper output neutralization for logs, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.008 for command and scripting interpreter execution. The flaw demonstrates a classic input validation weakness where the application assumes that metadata fields will contain only safe characters without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple command injection, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities within the compromised mIRC environment. An attacker could potentially execute commands such as sending unauthorized messages, joining or leaving channels, performing user enumeration, or even executing remote code execution if the mIRC client has sufficient privileges. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in networked environments where mIRC is used for communication, as it allows for the compromise of user sessions and potential lateral movement within chat-based communication systems. The user-assisted nature of the attack means that victims must actively open or process the malicious .mp3 file, but this is often trivially achieved through social engineering or automated file sharing mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require multiple layers of defense to address both the immediate exposure and prevent similar issues in the future. The most immediate solution involves updating to patched versions of mIRC and the Advanced Integration Plugin where available, as the vulnerability was addressed through proper input sanitization and validation. System administrators should implement network-level restrictions to prevent the automatic execution of media files from untrusted sources and consider deploying application whitelisting policies that restrict mIRC from accessing certain network resources. Organizations should also establish secure coding practices that emphasize input validation and output encoding, particularly when handling metadata from external sources. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of proper data sanitization in all components that interface with external protocols, as demonstrated by ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol communication. Additionally, user education regarding the risks of opening files from untrusted sources remains critical, as the vulnerability requires user interaction to be exploited effectively.