CVE-2007-4940 in CD-Storm
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple integer overflows in Media Player Classic (MPC) 6.4.9.0 and earlier, as used standalone and in mympc (aka CD-Storm) 1.0.0.1, StormPlayer 1.0.4, and possibly other products, allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a .avi file with certain large "indx truck size" and nEntriesInuse values.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/08/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4940 represents a critical security flaw affecting Media Player Classic version 6.4.9.0 and earlier implementations, including various derivative products such as mympc 1.0.0.1, StormPlayer 1.0.4, and potentially other media players utilizing the same underlying codebase. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of integer values during the processing of avi file structures, specifically within the index chunk handling mechanisms that are fundamental to media playback operations. The flaw manifests when maliciously crafted avi files contain oversized "indx truck size" and nEntriesInuse values that exceed the bounds of standard integer data types, creating conditions ripe for exploitation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves integer overflow conditions that occur during the parsing of avi file headers and index structures. When Media Player Classic encounters an avi file with specially crafted index truck size values and nEntriesInuse parameters, the application fails to properly validate these integer inputs before performing arithmetic operations or memory allocation calculations. This lack of input sanitization creates a scenario where the integer overflow results in unexpected behavior within the application's memory management subsystem. The overflow conditions can lead to buffer overflows, memory corruption, or invalid memory access patterns that ultimately cause the application to crash or behave unpredictably.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to end users who may inadvertently encounter maliciously crafted media files through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or peer-to-peer file sharing networks. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can potentially deliver malicious payloads without requiring local system access or user interaction beyond the simple act of opening the compromised media file. The potential for arbitrary code execution adds an additional layer of severity to this vulnerability, as it could enable attackers to gain complete control over affected systems. The denial of service aspect alone would severely impact user productivity and system availability, while the code execution capability could lead to full system compromise.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, which specifically addresses integer overflow conditions, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with attack patterns documented in the ATT&CK framework under the T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution technique. The exploitation methodology leverages the application's failure to properly validate input parameters before processing them, creating an environment where attackers can manipulate the application's memory structures through carefully crafted file formats. This vulnerability type is particularly dangerous in media player applications due to their widespread use and the typical user behavior of automatically opening downloaded or shared media content without sufficient security scrutiny. The impact extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially enabling full system compromise through the execution of malicious code within the context of the user's privileges.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of affected Media Player Classic installations and related products, implementing strict file format validation policies, and deploying network-based intrusion detection systems to identify and block suspicious media file transfers. Users should avoid opening media files from untrusted sources and maintain updated antivirus signatures that can detect and prevent exploitation attempts. System administrators should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict the execution of potentially vulnerable media players or require additional security controls for their operation. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of input validation and proper error handling in multimedia applications, emphasizing the need for developers to implement comprehensive testing procedures including fuzzing and boundary condition testing to prevent similar flaws in future implementations.