CVE-2007-6699 in Ygp Piceditor Activex Control
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple buffer overflows in the AIM PicEditor 9.5.1.8 ActiveX control in YGPPicEdit.dll in AOL You ve Got Pictures (YGP) Picture Editor allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (browser crash) via a long string in the (1) DisplayName, (2) FinalSavePath, (3) ForceSaveTo, (4) HiddenControls, (5) InitialEditorScreen, (6) Locale, (7) Proxy, and (8) UserAgent property values.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6699 represents a critical buffer overflow issue within the AIM PicEditor 9.5.1.8 ActiveX control distributed through AOL You ve Got Pictures YGP Picture Editor software. This flaw exists in the YGPPicEdit.dll library and affects numerous browser environments that support ActiveX controls, particularly Internet Explorer installations on Windows operating systems. The vulnerability manifests through multiple attack vectors, specifically targeting eight distinct properties of the ActiveX control that handle user input data. The affected properties include DisplayName, FinalSavePath, ForceSaveTo, HiddenControls, InitialEditorScreen, Locale, Proxy, and UserAgent, all of which can be exploited by malicious actors to inject excessively long strings that exceed the allocated buffer space.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. The ActiveX control's implementation fails to properly validate or limit the length of input parameters passed to these specific properties, creating predictable memory corruption scenarios. When an attacker supplies a string exceeding the predetermined buffer capacity, the overflow causes memory corruption that typically results in application instability and browser crashes. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise as it can be triggered through simple web page manipulation without requiring complex attack chains or specialized tools.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to end-user security and system stability. The denial of service condition it creates effectively renders the targeted browser environment unusable until the application is restarted, disrupting normal user workflows and potentially providing attackers with opportunities for more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability affects a widely distributed ActiveX control that was commonly installed on Windows systems, amplifying its potential impact across numerous endpoints. Security researchers have noted that such buffer overflow conditions often serve as precursors to more serious exploits, as the memory corruption can potentially be leveraged to execute arbitrary code if proper exploitation techniques are applied.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to include potential privilege escalation scenarios and remote code execution risks. According to ATT&CK framework categorization, this vulnerability aligns with T1203, which covers legitimate user privileges and the exploitation of software vulnerabilities to gain system access. Organizations running vulnerable systems face increased risk of compromise, particularly in environments where ActiveX controls are enabled by default or where users lack security awareness about ActiveX risks. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple properties suggests a systemic design flaw in the ActiveX control's input handling mechanisms, indicating that similar issues may exist in other components of the same software suite.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate remediation through software updates from AOL, which would address the buffer overflow conditions in the YGPPicEdit.dll component. System administrators should implement ActiveX control restrictions through group policies and browser security settings to prevent automatic execution of potentially vulnerable ActiveX components. Network-level protections can include web application firewalls that detect and block malicious input patterns targeting these specific properties. Additionally, user education regarding ActiveX control risks and the importance of keeping software updated remains crucial. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques for browser environments and conducting regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar issues in other ActiveX controls or browser plugins that may present similar security risks.