CVE-2008-1387 in ClamAV
Summary
by MITRE
ClamAV before 0.93 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a crafted ARJ archive, as demonstrated by the PROTOS GENOME test suite for Archive Formats.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1387 affects ClamAV versions prior to 0.93 and represents a significant denial of service weakness that can be exploited remotely through maliciously crafted ARJ archive files. This vulnerability specifically targets the archive extraction and scanning mechanisms within ClamAV's file processing pipeline, where the software fails to properly handle malformed or specially constructed ARJ archives that trigger excessive CPU consumption during processing. The issue was demonstrated using the PROTOS GENOME test suite for Archive Formats, which contains carefully designed test cases that exploit the underlying flaw in ClamAV's archive handling routines.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation and resource management within ClamAV's ARJ archive processing module. When a malicious ARJ archive is processed, the software enters an infinite loop or consumes excessive computational resources during decompression and scanning operations. This occurs because the archive parser does not properly implement bounds checking or resource limiting mechanisms when encountering malformed archive structures. The vulnerability falls under the category of resource exhaustion attacks where an attacker can consume system resources to the point of system instability or complete service unavailability. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption," and specifically relates to improper handling of archive formats that can lead to denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can affect any system running ClamAV versions before 0.93 that processes potentially malicious archives. Organizations relying on ClamAV for email filtering, file scanning, or network security monitoring could experience complete service outages when encountering the crafted ARJ archives. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not need physical access to the system, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in networked environments where automated scanning processes might encounter malicious files. This vulnerability can be leveraged by attackers to perform distributed denial of service attacks against systems using vulnerable ClamAV installations, potentially affecting multiple systems simultaneously if they are configured to scan similar types of files or archives.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-1387 primarily focus on upgrading to ClamAV version 0.93 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed through improved input validation and resource management. System administrators should also implement additional protective measures such as configuring resource limits on scanning processes, implementing file type filtering to reduce exposure to problematic archive formats, and deploying network segmentation to isolate critical systems from potentially malicious file processing. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1499.004 sub-technique for "Resource Hijacking" where adversaries use malicious code to consume system resources. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unusual CPU consumption patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular vulnerability assessments and patch management programs are essential to prevent exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities in security software implementations.