CVE-2007-4740 in Alice Messenger
Summary
by MITRE
The HPRevolutionRegistryManager ActiveX control in Hp.Revolution.RegistryManager.dll 1 in Telecom Italy Alice Messenger allows remote attackers to create registry keys and values via the arguments to the WriteRegistry method.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/29/2017
The CVE-2007-4740 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the HP Revolution Registry Manager ActiveX control distributed through Telecom Italy Alice Messenger software. This vulnerability exists within the Hp.Revolution.RegistryManager.dll version 1 component and exposes a dangerous privilege escalation vector through improper input validation in the WriteRegistry method. The flaw allows remote attackers to manipulate the Windows registry from untrusted contexts, effectively bypassing normal security boundaries that typically protect system registry modifications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the ActiveX control's lack of proper parameter validation and access control mechanisms. When the WriteRegistry method processes arguments from external sources, it fails to validate the registry key paths, value names, or data content provided by attackers. This absence of input sanitization creates a direct path for arbitrary registry manipulation, enabling attackers to create, modify, or delete registry entries with elevated privileges. The vulnerability operates at the system level, allowing malicious actors to potentially install persistent backdoors, modify system configurations, or disable security mechanisms through registry modifications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple registry manipulation, creating significant risks for system integrity and security posture. Attackers can leverage this flaw to establish persistent access through registry-based persistence mechanisms such as autorun entries, service registrations, or scheduled tasks. The vulnerability also enables privilege escalation attacks where attackers can modify security-related registry keys to weaken system protections or manipulate authentication mechanisms. Additionally, the ActiveX control's presence in the Alice Messenger application provides a legitimate attack surface that can be exploited through web-based delivery methods, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where ActiveX controls are often enabled for legitimate business applications.
This vulnerability aligns with multiple CWE classifications including CWE-119 Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer and CWE-20 Improper Input Validation, reflecting the fundamental flaws in input sanitization and memory management within the ActiveX control. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple techniques including T1112 Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder, T1068 Local Privilege Escalation, and T1547 Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder, demonstrating how the registry modification capability can be used for persistence and privilege escalation. The vulnerability also intersects with T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers can use registry modifications to execute malicious code through system startup mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-4740 should focus on immediate remediation through software updates from HP and Telecom Italy, as well as network-based protections. Organizations should implement ActiveX control restrictions through group policies or browser configurations to prevent automatic execution of untrusted ActiveX components. Network segmentation and application whitelisting can help limit the attack surface where such controls might be present. Security monitoring should include registry change detection to identify unauthorized modifications that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular vulnerability assessments should identify and remediate similar ActiveX controls that may present similar security flaws. System hardening measures including disabling unnecessary ActiveX controls and implementing least privilege access controls can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and access control in component-based architectures, particularly for controls that operate with elevated system privileges.