CVE-2007-5108 in Ask Toolbar
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in IAC Search & Media ask.com toolbar has unknown impact and remote attack vectors. NOTE: this information is based upon a vague advisory by a vulnerability information sales organization that does not coordinate with vendors or release actionable advisories. A CVE has been assigned for tracking purposes, but duplicates with other CVEs are difficult to determine. NOTE: this might be the same issue as CVE-2007-5107.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-5108 represents a security weakness within the IAC Search & Media ask.com toolbar software, specifically affecting versions released in 2007. This toolbar was a widely distributed browser extension that integrated search functionality and advertising content into web browsers, making it a prime target for exploitation. The vulnerability falls under the category of unspecified security flaws, meaning that the exact technical details were not clearly defined in the initial advisory, creating uncertainty for security professionals attempting to assess risk and implement appropriate defenses.
The technical nature of this vulnerability remains ambiguous due to the vague advisory sources referenced in the CVE description, which were reportedly provided by a vulnerability information sales organization rather than coordinated security vendors. This lack of clarity in the initial disclosure creates significant challenges for security teams attempting to understand the precise attack surface and potential exploitation methods. The vulnerability is categorized as having unknown impact and remote attack vectors, suggesting that it could potentially be exploited over a network without requiring local system access. This characteristic places it within the realm of remotely exploitable security flaws that could affect a large number of users who had the toolbar installed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple technical concerns, as browser toolbars represent a critical component of user web experiences and often maintain persistent connections to remote servers. The ask.com toolbar, being part of the IAC Search & Media suite, would have had access to user browsing data, search queries, and potentially sensitive information. The remote attack vector implications suggest that malicious actors could exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary code, modify browser behavior, or potentially redirect users to malicious websites without requiring user interaction beyond having the toolbar installed. This vulnerability could have enabled attackers to compromise user systems through a relatively simple attack surface, particularly given the widespread adoption of the toolbar across various browser platforms.
Security professionals addressing this vulnerability would need to consider the broader implications of browser extension exploitation, which aligns with common attack patterns documented in the attack mitigation frameworks. The lack of specific technical details in the advisory makes it challenging to determine the precise CWE classification, though the unspecified nature suggests potential issues with input validation, memory corruption, or privilege escalation. Organizations implementing security controls should have considered the vulnerability as part of broader browser extension security assessments, potentially referencing attack patterns from the MITRE ATT&CK framework that address browser-based attacks and extension exploitation. The potential duplicate relationship with CVE-2007-5107 further complicates the remediation process, as security teams may need to investigate both vulnerabilities to ensure comprehensive protection. The advisory's note about the lack of coordination with vendors underscores the importance of maintaining awareness of multiple vulnerability sources and the necessity of cross-referencing information from various security organizations to build complete threat models.