CVE-2008-1735 in BitDefender
Summary
by MITRE
BitDefender Antivirus 2008 20080118 and earlier allows local users to cause a denial of service (system crash) via an invalid pointer to the CLIENT_ID structure in a call to the NtOpenProcess hooked System Service Descriptor Table (SSDT) function.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1735 represents a critical denial of service flaw within BitDefender Antivirus 2008 version 20080118 and earlier installations. This issue stems from inadequate input validation within the antivirus software's kernel-level components, specifically affecting how the system handles process manipulation operations through the Windows Native API. The vulnerability manifests when the antivirus engine encounters an invalid pointer reference to the CLIENT_ID structure during execution of the NtOpenProcess system call, which is a fundamental operation for process management in Windows operating systems.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of system service calls within BitDefender's kernel-mode drivers that hook into the System Service Descriptor Table (SSDT). When the antivirus software processes a malformed CLIENT_ID structure pointer during NtOpenProcess operations, it fails to validate the pointer's integrity before attempting to dereference it. This lack of proper validation creates a condition where malicious or malformed input can trigger an invalid memory access, leading to system instability and potential crashes. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level, making it particularly dangerous as it can compromise the entire operating system's stability without requiring elevated privileges beyond normal user access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system crashes, as it can be exploited by local users to disrupt normal system operations and potentially create denial of service conditions that affect critical business processes. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting specific inputs that trigger the invalid pointer dereference, causing the targeted system to become unresponsive or require manual rebooting. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where antivirus solutions are deployed, as it can be used to disrupt service availability and potentially impact productivity. The issue demonstrates a failure in proper error handling and memory management within the antivirus software's kernel components, representing a classic case of improper input validation that can lead to system instability.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and represents a failure in proper memory access validation. The flaw also relates to ATT&CK technique T1490, which covers data destruction, as the system crash condition can be classified as a form of system disruption that affects availability. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to BitDefender Antivirus 2008 version 20080119 or later, which contains patches addressing this specific vulnerability. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unusual process manipulation patterns and ensure that all antivirus software components are kept current with the latest security updates. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust input validation in kernel-mode drivers and demonstrates how seemingly minor flaws in system service handling can result in significant operational impacts.