CVE-2008-4256 in Visual Basic
Summary
by MITRE
The Charts ActiveX control in Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0, Visual Studio .NET 2002 SP1 and 2003 SP1, and Visual FoxPro 8.0 SP1 and 9.0 SP1 and SP2 does not properly handle errors during access to incorrectly initialized objects, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted HTML document, related to corruption of the "system state," aka "Charts Control Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2019
The CVE-2008-4256 vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0, Visual Studio .NET 2002 SP1 and 2003 SP1, and Visual FoxPro 8.0 SP1 and 9.0 SP1 and SP2 installations. This vulnerability specifically targets the Charts ActiveX control, which is a component commonly used in Microsoft development environments for creating graphical representations of data. The flaw manifests when the control attempts to handle error conditions during access to improperly initialized objects, creating a scenario where remote attackers can exploit the system state corruption to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems. The vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption issues that can lead to privilege escalation and system compromise, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where development tools are widely deployed.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the improper error handling within the Charts ActiveX control's object initialization process. When the control encounters incorrectly initialized objects during runtime operations, the error handling routines fail to properly manage the system state, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged by attackers. This memory corruption occurs in the context of web browsing when users encounter specially crafted HTML documents containing malicious ActiveX content. The flaw is classified as a buffer overflow or memory corruption vulnerability, typically mapping to CWE-121, which deals with stack-based buffer overflow conditions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be triggered through web-based attacks without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage, making it an ideal candidate for drive-by download attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-4256 extends beyond simple code execution, as it can enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to affected systems and potentially escalate privileges. Attackers can craft HTML documents that, when viewed in Internet Explorer or other browsers that support ActiveX controls, trigger the vulnerable Charts control and execute malicious payloads. This vulnerability affects systems running older versions of Microsoft development tools, which were commonly found in enterprise environments where legacy applications continue to operate. The attack surface is particularly broad as these development tools were widely distributed and often installed on user systems, increasing the potential for exploitation. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving exploitation of known vulnerabilities and privilege escalation, specifically T1190 for exploit public-facing application and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-4256 should focus on immediate patching of affected systems with the relevant Microsoft security updates, as well as implementing administrative controls to restrict ActiveX control usage. Organizations should disable ActiveX controls in web browsers for non-essential applications and implement proper access controls to limit exposure. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and conducting regular vulnerability assessments of development environments. System administrators should consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted ActiveX controls, particularly in environments where legacy development tools are still in use. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect potential exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability can be used as a initial access vector for more sophisticated attacks. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that security updates do not break existing applications while maintaining the security posture of the affected systems.