CVE-2007-5542 in Miranda
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in Miranda IM 0.6.8 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Yahoo! Messenger packet. NOTE: this might overlap CVE-2007-5590.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/02/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-5542 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw discovered in Miranda IM version 0.6.8, a popular instant messaging client that supported multiple messaging protocols including Yahoo Messenger packets, creating a dangerous condition where maliciously crafted data can trigger unexpected behavior in the application's memory management. The flaw exists within the protocol parsing mechanism that processes incoming messages from Yahoo! Messenger servers, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through legitimate network communications without requiring any special privileges or local access.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow occurs when Miranda IM receives a specially crafted packet from a Yahoo! Messenger server that contains data exceeding the allocated buffer size in memory. This overflow corrupts adjacent memory locations including the stack frame's return address and other critical program variables. The vulnerability is classified as a stack-based buffer overflow under CWE-121, which specifically addresses buffer overflow conditions where data written to a buffer on the stack overflows into adjacent stack memory regions. The flaw demonstrates characteristics of CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds writes to memory, and CWE-122, which deals with buffer overflows that can be exploited for code execution.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant threat vector for remote attackers who can leverage it to execute arbitrary code on systems running vulnerable versions of Miranda IM. The attack requires no user interaction beyond receiving a legitimate Yahoo! Messenger packet, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users maintain active instant messaging sessions. The exploitability of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which involves the use of remote code execution through network-based attacks. Attackers can potentially gain complete control over affected systems, allowing them to install malware, steal sensitive information, or establish persistent access points within network environments.
The impact extends beyond individual user systems as Miranda IM was widely used across corporate and personal networks, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on instant messaging for communication. The overlap with CVE-2007-5590 suggests that similar vulnerabilities may exist in related components or that multiple flaws were discovered in the same codebase, indicating potential systemic issues in the application's input validation and memory management practices. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems and implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of input validation and proper bounds checking in network protocol implementations, as well as the necessity of regular security assessments for messaging applications that handle external data streams.