CVE-2008-5314 in ClamAV
Summary
by MITRE
Stack consumption vulnerability in libclamav/special.c in ClamAV before 0.94.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) via a crafted JPEG file, related to the cli_check_jpeg_exploit, jpeg_check_photoshop, and jpeg_check_photoshop_8bim functions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-5314 represents a critical stack consumption issue within the ClamAV antivirus engine's libclamav/special.c module. This flaw affects ClamAV versions prior to 0.94.2 and specifically targets the daemon's handling of JPEG image files. The vulnerability manifests through three distinct functions: cli_check_jpeg_exploit, jpeg_check_photoshop, and jpeg_check_photoshop_8bim, which collectively process JPEG metadata and embedded information within image files. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious JPEG files that trigger excessive stack memory consumption during the parsing process, ultimately leading to daemon crashes and system-wide denial of service conditions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the JPEG parsing routines of ClamAV's signature detection engine. When the daemon encounters specially crafted JPEG files containing malformed or excessively nested metadata structures, the parsing functions recursively process these elements without proper stack depth limitations or memory consumption monitoring. This behavior creates a condition where the stack memory allocated for processing these files rapidly depletes, causing the daemon to crash and terminate its operations. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no privileged access or authentication to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where ClamAV daemon services are actively processing incoming files.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-5314 extends beyond simple daemon crashes to encompass broader service availability concerns within security infrastructure deployments. Organizations relying on ClamAV for email filtering, file scanning, or network security monitoring face significant risk of service disruption when attackers exploit this vulnerability through crafted JPEG attachments or file uploads. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of buffer dimensions, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with stack-based buffer overflow conditions that have been extensively documented in cybersecurity literature. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability provides a straightforward path to denial of service attacks that can be executed remotely without requiring deep technical knowledge or specialized tools, making it particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to disrupt security operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-5314 primarily focus on immediate version upgrades to ClamAV 0.94.2 or later releases, which contain patches specifically addressing the stack consumption issues in the affected JPEG parsing functions. Network administrators should implement comprehensive patch management protocols to ensure all ClamAV installations are updated promptly, particularly in environments where the daemon processes untrusted file uploads or network traffic. Additional protective measures include implementing file type filtering to restrict JPEG processing for sensitive systems, deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious file patterns, and establishing monitoring protocols to detect daemon crash events that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of input validation and resource management practices in security software, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks and emphasizing the need for robust memory safety controls in antivirus and security scanning applications. Organizations should also consider implementing redundant security services and failover mechanisms to maintain operational continuity during potential exploitation events, while conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of their security infrastructure.