CVE-2008-3913 in ClamAV
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple memory leaks in freshclam/manager.c in ClamAV before 0.94 might allow attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via unspecified vectors related to "error handling logic".
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-3913 affects ClamAV versions prior to 0.94 and represents a critical memory management flaw within the freshclam component's error handling logic. This issue manifests as multiple memory leaks in the manager.c file, which serves as the core module responsible for managing database updates and system operations within the ClamAV antivirus suite. The vulnerability specifically targets the error handling mechanisms that are invoked during the database update process, where the software fails to properly release allocated memory resources when encountering various error conditions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory deallocation practices within the error handling paths of the freshclam utility. When ClamAV encounters errors during database updates or system operations, the software's manager.c module contains logic flaws that prevent proper cleanup of dynamically allocated memory blocks. These memory leaks occur during both normal error conditions and exceptional circumstances, creating a cumulative effect that gradually consumes available system memory. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that multiple code paths within the error handling logic are affected, making the vulnerability particularly insidious as it can be triggered through various operational scenarios including network connectivity issues, database corruption, or configuration errors.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-3913 translates directly into a denial of service condition where the targeted system experiences progressive memory exhaustion. As attackers can repeatedly trigger the error conditions that lead to memory leaks, the system's available memory becomes progressively consumed until the system becomes unresponsive or crashes entirely. This vulnerability particularly affects systems running ClamAV with frequent database updates, as the error handling logic is invoked more often, accelerating the memory consumption rate. The vulnerability presents a significant risk to enterprise environments where ClamAV is deployed as a central security solution, as it could be exploited to disrupt critical security operations and potentially compromise the availability of security services.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which describes improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation, and represents a classic example of memory leak patterns commonly found in software systems that lack proper resource management. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the T1499.004 technique related to Network Denial of Service, as the memory consumption can effectively render the system unavailable to legitimate users. Additionally, the issue demonstrates characteristics of T1566.001, which involves malicious code delivery through updates, as attackers could exploit this vulnerability during the database update process. The remediation approach requires immediate patching of ClamAV to version 0.94 or later, which contains the necessary memory management fixes. Organizations should also implement monitoring systems to detect unusual memory consumption patterns and establish regular update procedures to ensure all systems run patched versions. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper error handling and resource management in security software, particularly in components responsible for automated updates and continuous monitoring operations.