CVE-2007-5348 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
Integer overflow in GDI+ in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 SP1, Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Server 2003 SP1 and SP2, Vista Gold and SP1, Server 2008, Office XP SP3, Office 2003 SP2 and SP3, 2007 Microsoft Office System Gold and SP1, Visio 2002 SP2, PowerPoint Viewer 2003, Works 8, Digital Image Suite 2006, SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services SP2, SQL Server 2005 SP2, Report Viewer 2005 SP1 and 2008, and Forefront Client Security 1.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via an image file with crafted gradient sizes in gradient fill input, which triggers a heap-based buffer overflow related to GdiPlus.dll and VGX.DLL, aka "GDI+ VML Buffer Overrun Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/16/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-5348 represents a critical integer overflow condition within the Graphics Device Interface Plus component of Microsoft Windows operating systems and Office applications. This flaw exists in the GDI+ rendering engine responsible for processing vector graphics and image manipulation within the Windows environment. The vulnerability specifically manifests when processing image files containing crafted gradient sizes in gradient fill input, creating a scenario where integer arithmetic operations exceed their maximum representable values. This condition affects a broad spectrum of Microsoft products including Internet Explorer versions, Windows operating systems, Office suites, and various Microsoft server and client applications. The integer overflow occurs in the GdiPlus.dll and VGX.DLL modules, which are core components of the Windows graphics subsystem responsible for handling vector graphics and rich media content.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting malicious image files with specially designed gradient parameters that trigger the integer overflow during the processing of gradient fill operations. When the vulnerable GDI+ component attempts to allocate memory for these crafted gradient sizes, the overflow causes subsequent heap-based buffer overflows that can be leveraged by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the targeted user. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects multiple versions of Windows and Office products, creating a wide attack surface across enterprise environments. The flaw operates at the kernel level within the graphics processing pipeline, making it particularly challenging to detect and prevent through standard security measures. According to CWE classification, this represents a CWE-190 Integer Overflow or Wraparound, which is a well-known weakness pattern that frequently leads to memory corruption vulnerabilities. The attack vector is remote, meaning that an attacker can exploit this vulnerability through web content, email attachments, or any other means of delivering malicious image files to a victim's system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond individual system compromise to potentially enable widespread security breaches across enterprise networks. Organizations running affected versions of Microsoft Windows and Office products face significant risk of unauthorized code execution, data theft, and system takeover. The vulnerability's presence in core Windows components means that exploitation can occur without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website or opening a compromised document. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent backdoors, escalate privileges, and move laterally within networks. The widespread adoption of affected software versions creates a substantial risk profile, particularly for organizations that have not implemented timely security updates. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple techniques including privilege escalation through code injection, persistence mechanisms, and initial access via malicious web content. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to complete system compromise and is often used as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-5348 require immediate implementation of security patches from Microsoft, as the vulnerability has been addressed through official updates to affected software components. Organizations should prioritize patch management processes to ensure all affected systems receive the necessary security updates. Additional protective measures include implementing strict content filtering for image files, disabling automatic image rendering in web browsers, and deploying network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. Security administrators should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of untrusted image processing applications. The vulnerability's nature makes it particularly susceptible to exploitation through web-based attacks, so browser security configurations should be hardened to prevent automatic execution of potentially malicious content. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining unpatched systems within the organization. Given the vulnerability's classification as a heap-based buffer overflow, memory protection mechanisms such as DEP (Data Execution Prevention) and ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) should be enabled to make exploitation more difficult. Organizations should also maintain detailed incident response procedures specifically designed to handle buffer overflow exploitation attempts and ensure appropriate forensic capabilities are in place for post-incident analysis.