CVE-2008-2407 in Trillian
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in AIM.DLL in Cerulean Studios Trillian before 3.1.10.0 allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long attribute value in a FONT tag in a message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2407 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within the AIM.DLL component of Cerulean Studios Trillian instant messaging client software. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 3.1.10.0 and creates a significant security risk that can be exploited by remote attackers with minimal user interaction. The flaw specifically manifests when the application processes incoming messages containing malformed FONT tags with excessively long attribute values, demonstrating a classic buffer overflow condition where insufficient input validation allows memory corruption to occur.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking within the AIM.DLL library responsible for handling instant messaging protocols. When Trillian encounters a message containing a FONT tag with an attribute value exceeding the allocated buffer space, the application fails to properly validate the input length before copying data to memory. This allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory locations on the stack, potentially corrupting program execution flow and enabling arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires only that a user receive a specially crafted message, making it particularly dangerous in mass messaging scenarios.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe threat landscape for Trillian users who may unknowingly receive malicious messages containing the crafted FONT tag. The user-assisted nature of the attack means that the target must simply open or process the malicious message for exploitation to occur, significantly lowering the barrier for successful compromise. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected user, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or establishment of persistent backdoors. The vulnerability affects all versions of Trillian prior to 3.1.10.0, representing a substantial attack surface for malicious actors targeting instant messaging platforms.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as mapping to CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which is classified under the Common Weakness Enumeration framework for buffer overflow conditions occurring on the stack. The attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, though more directly related to T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating to Trillian version 3.1.10.0 or later, which includes proper input validation and buffer size enforcement. Network-level protections such as message filtering and content inspection can provide additional defense in depth, though the most effective approach remains prompt patch deployment and user education regarding suspicious message content. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of input sanitization in instant messaging applications and demonstrates how seemingly benign HTML formatting elements can become attack vectors when not properly validated.