CVE-2008-2106 in Call of Duty 4
Summary
by MITRE
Call of Duty 4 (CoD4) 1.5 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (crash) via a type 7 stats packet, which triggers a memcpy with a negative value.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2106 affects Call of Duty 4 version 1.5 and earlier, representing a critical denial of service flaw that can be exploited by authenticated remote attackers. This issue stems from improper input validation within the game's networking code, specifically when processing statistics packets. The vulnerability manifests when a malicious user sends a specially crafted type 7 stats packet to the game server, triggering an abnormal execution path that leads to a system crash. The flaw operates at the protocol level where the game client or server fails to properly validate the size parameter of memory operations, creating a scenario where a negative value is passed to the memcpy function.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of the length parameter in memory operations. When the game processes the malicious stats packet, it calculates a negative value for the memory copy operation, causing the memcpy function to behave unpredictably and ultimately resulting in a program crash. This type of vulnerability is classified as a buffer overflow condition, though specifically a negative length buffer overflow that can be exploited to cause system instability. The vulnerability exists in the game's networking stack where it handles player statistics data, which is typically sent during gameplay or when players disconnect from the server.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to game servers and multiplayer environments that rely on Call of Duty 4 version 1.5 or earlier. Attackers can exploit this flaw to repeatedly crash servers, disrupting gameplay for all connected users and potentially causing service interruptions that affect the overall gaming experience. The vulnerability requires only authenticated access to the game network, meaning that any player who can connect to a vulnerable server can potentially exploit this weakness. This makes it particularly dangerous in public gaming environments or competitive gaming platforms where malicious users might attempt to disrupt matches or create service outages.
The exploitation of this vulnerability can be categorized under the ATT&CK framework's technique T1499, which covers network denial of service attacks. Additionally, it relates to T1071.004, which involves application layer protocol manipulation. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption, as server crashes can result in data loss, player disconnects, and potential reputational damage for game operators. The vulnerability affects the availability aspect of the CIA triad, specifically targeting the system's ability to maintain continuous operation. Organizations running vulnerable versions of Call of Duty 4 should implement immediate mitigations including updating to version 1.6 or later, which contains the necessary patches to validate packet lengths properly. Network-level mitigations such as implementing packet filtering rules to block suspicious stats packets can provide temporary protection while full updates are deployed. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and memory safety practices in game development, particularly in multiplayer environments where untrusted data from network connections must be rigorously validated before processing.