CVE-2008-1101 in Lotus Notes
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in kvdocve.dll in the KeyView document viewing engine in Autonomy (formerly Verity) KeyView, as used by IBM Lotus Notes 7.0.2 and 7.0.3, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long pathname, as demonstrated by a long SRC attribute of an IMG element in an HTML document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1101 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the KeyView document viewing engine component of IBM Lotus Notes 7.0.2 and 7.0.3 software. This security weakness resides in the kvdocve.dll library which serves as the core document processing module responsible for handling various file formats including HTML documents. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the system processes HTML content containing maliciously crafted pathnames, particularly those found within the SRC attribute of IMG elements. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and bounds checking mechanisms within the document parsing routine that fails to properly sanitize the length of pathname data before processing it in memory. This particular implementation vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of buffer overflow conditions, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries and potentially overwrite critical program data or execution control structures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution as it provides attackers with a pathway to compromise the entire Lotus Notes client environment. When a user opens a malicious HTML document containing an overly long SRC attribute, the buffer overflow occurs during the document parsing phase, potentially allowing remote attackers to inject and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the running application. The attack vector leverages web-based content delivery through email attachments or web browsing within the Lotus Notes interface, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently interact with untrusted web content. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution, as it enables attackers to execute malicious payloads through legitimate document processing mechanisms. The exploitability of this flaw is enhanced by the fact that it requires no special privileges to trigger, as the vulnerability exists within the document viewing engine that operates with standard user permissions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-1101 should prioritize immediate patching of affected IBM Lotus Notes versions, as IBM released security updates specifically addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should implement network-level controls including web content filtering and email attachment scanning to prevent delivery of potentially malicious HTML documents containing long pathnames. Additionally, security administrators should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of untrusted document processing components and disable unnecessary HTML rendering features within the Lotus Notes client. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in document processing libraries, emphasizing the need for regular security assessments of third-party components integrated into enterprise applications. Organizations should also establish monitoring procedures to detect unusual document processing patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while maintaining comprehensive incident response procedures for potential compromise scenarios involving client-side document viewers.