CVE-2007-5687 in Ichitaro
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple buffer overflows in the rich text processing functionality in JustSystems Ichitaro 2004 through 2007, 11 through 13, and other versions allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long (1) pard field or (2) font name in the fcharset0 field, which is not properly handled in (a) JSTARO4.OCX; or (3) a long title, which is not properly handled by (b) TJSVDA.DLL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/10/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-5687 represents a critical security flaw in JustSystems Ichitaro software versions ranging from 2004 through 2007 and versions 11 through 13. This issue stems from inadequate input validation within the rich text processing components of the application, specifically affecting the handling of structured document elements. The vulnerability manifests through three distinct attack vectors that exploit buffer overflow conditions in different Dynamic Link Library components of the software ecosystem.
The primary technical flaw occurs when the software processes maliciously crafted rich text documents containing oversized fields that exceed the allocated buffer space. The first vector involves an excessively long pard field which triggers a buffer overflow in the JSTARO4.OCX component, while the second vector exploits a long font name in the fcharset0 field that causes similar overflow conditions in the same module. Additionally, the third vector targets the TJSVDA.DLL component through manipulation of document title fields, creating another buffer overflow scenario. These buffer overflow conditions occur because the software fails to properly validate the length of input data before copying it into fixed-size memory buffers, creating opportunities for attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote code execution attacks without requiring user interaction or authentication. An attacker can craft malicious documents containing oversized fields that, when opened by an affected version of Ichitaro, will trigger the buffer overflow conditions and allow arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the affected user. This represents a classic remote code execution vulnerability that can be exploited through email attachments, web downloads, or any method of delivering malicious documents to targets. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of the software, making it particularly dangerous as organizations may have various versions deployed across their networks, increasing the attack surface.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers stack-based buffer overflow scenarios. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and script interpreter execution and T1203 for exploitation for privilege escalation. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-supplied patches, implementing strict document validation policies, and deploying network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious document handling activities. Additionally, user education regarding the dangers of opening untrusted documents and network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation should be considered as part of a comprehensive security posture.