CVE-2007-5111 in EBCRYPT
Summary
by MITRE
A certain ActiveX control in EBCRYPT.DLL 2.0 in EB Design ebCrypt allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a string argument to the AddString method.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-5111 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the ebCrypt ActiveX control version 2.0, specifically affecting the EBCRYPT.DLL component developed by EB Design. This ActiveX control is designed for cryptographic operations and digital signature processing, making it a potentially high-value target for attackers seeking to disrupt system availability. The flaw manifests through improper input validation within the AddString method of the ActiveX control, which fails to properly handle maliciously crafted string arguments that can trigger unexpected behavior and system instability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a specially formatted string argument and passes it to the AddString method of the vulnerable ActiveX control. This improper handling of input parameters leads to memory corruption or buffer overflow conditions that cause the control to crash and terminate unexpectedly. The vulnerability stems from a lack of proper bounds checking and input sanitization within the control's implementation, allowing arbitrary string data to be processed without adequate validation mechanisms. This type of flaw falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-121, which encompasses buffer overflow conditions that occur when insufficient boundary checking is performed on buffers or string handling operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-5111 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can be leveraged in broader attack scenarios targeting web browsers and applications that utilize the affected ActiveX control. When exploited, this vulnerability can cause complete application crashes, browser instability, and potentially system-wide denial of service conditions in environments where the ebCrypt control is frequently used for digital signature verification or cryptographic operations. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or documents that automatically invoke the vulnerable AddString method, leading to automatic system crashes when users browse to these pages or open the malicious content. This vulnerability particularly affects systems running older versions of Windows operating systems where ActiveX controls are commonly deployed for enhanced functionality and security features.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling the vulnerable ActiveX control through browser security settings, applying security patches from EB Design if available, and implementing network-based restrictions to prevent access to potentially malicious content that could exploit this vulnerability. The control should be removed from systems where it is not absolutely essential for operations, and administrators should monitor for any attempts to load or execute the vulnerable component. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1210 which involves exploitation of remote services to gain access to systems, and represents a classic example of how legacy ActiveX controls can introduce significant security risks in modern computing environments. System administrators should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of unauthorized ActiveX controls and establish monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts.