CVE-2007-6235 in RealPlayer
Summary
by MITRE
A certain ActiveX control in RealNetworks RealPlayer 11 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a malformed .au file that triggers a divide-by-zero error. NOTE: this might be related to CVE-2007-4904.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/12/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6235 represents a critical denial of service flaw within RealNetworks RealPlayer 11 software, specifically affecting an ActiveX control component. This vulnerability manifests when the affected media player processes a specially crafted .au file format, which is an audio file format developed by Sun Microsystems. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation within the ActiveX control responsible for handling audio file parsing, creating a scenario where maliciously formatted audio files can trigger unexpected application behavior. The vulnerability operates through a divide-by-zero error condition that occurs during the file processing routine, causing the application to crash and terminate unexpectedly.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-369, which describes the weakness of divide-by-zero errors in software implementations. The ActiveX control in RealPlayer 11 fails to properly validate the mathematical operations required for audio file parsing, particularly when encountering malformed .au file structures. When the control attempts to perform division operations on invalid or corrupted data extracted from the audio file header information, it results in a runtime exception that crashes the entire application. This type of error represents a classic example of insufficient error handling and input validation, where the software does not anticipate or properly handle exceptional conditions that arise from malformed input data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability, as it represents a potential vector for broader security exploitation within enterprise environments. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to disrupt media playback services, potentially affecting productivity in organizations that rely on RealPlayer for audio content delivery. The denial of service condition can be triggered remotely through web-based attacks, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where users might inadvertently download or open malicious audio files. Furthermore, the vulnerability's relationship to CVE-2007-4904 suggests a pattern of similar flaws within the RealPlayer software ecosystem, indicating potential systemic issues with input validation and error handling mechanisms across multiple components.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the ATT&CK framework, specifically under the T1499.004 technique for "Network Denial of Service" and T1595.001 for "Network Sniffing" as attackers may use this flaw to establish persistent disruption capabilities. The vulnerability affects the availability aspect of the CIA triad, compromising the system's ability to provide continuous service to legitimate users. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling ActiveX controls in web browsers, updating to patched versions of RealPlayer, and implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of sandboxing ActiveX controls and implementing strict input validation procedures to prevent similar issues in other multimedia applications that process untrusted file formats.