CVE-2008-7107 in Smart Security
Summary
by MITRE
easdrv.sys in ESET Smart Security 3.0.667.0 allows local users to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted IOCTL 0x222003 request to the \\.\easdrv device interface.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-7107 resides within the easdrv.sys kernel driver component of ESET Smart Security version 3.0.667.0, representing a critical local privilege escalation and denial of service weakness that affects the Windows operating system's kernel mode execution environment. This driver serves as the primary interface for ESET's Endpoint Advanced Security functionality, managing system-level operations and device communication. The flaw manifests through improper input validation within the driver's IOCTL handling mechanism, specifically when processing the crafted IOCTL request with the hexadecimal identifier 0x222003. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the kernel level, where malicious input can directly compromise system stability and potentially enable privilege escalation attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the \.\easdrv device interface, which acts as a communication channel between user-mode applications and the kernel-mode driver. When a local user submits the specifically crafted IOCTL 0x222003 request, the easdrv.sys driver fails to properly validate the input parameters or perform adequate boundary checking on the data structure being processed. This lack of input sanitization creates a condition where malformed or unexpected data can cause the driver to execute invalid memory operations, leading to a system crash or blue screen of death. The vulnerability stems from a classic buffer overflow or improper memory access pattern that violates standard kernel security practices and represents a failure in defensive programming principles.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to enterprise environments where ESET Smart Security is deployed, as local users with minimal privileges can potentially disrupt system operations and cause service interruptions. The denial of service impact extends beyond simple system crashes, as it can affect critical security services that depend on the ESET driver for protection. The local nature of the exploit means that any user account on the system, including unprivileged users, can potentially trigger the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments. The attack vector is relatively simple to implement and does not require specialized tools or advanced knowledge, which increases the likelihood of exploitation in real-world scenarios.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the ESET Smart Security software to version 3.0.668.0 or later, which contains the necessary driver modifications to properly validate IOCTL inputs. System administrators should implement monitoring for unusual IOCTL activity patterns and consider disabling unnecessary device interfaces when possible. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and also relates to ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation through kernel exploits. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as driver signature enforcement and kernel-mode code integrity checks to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future. The incident highlights the importance of proper input validation in kernel-mode drivers and demonstrates how seemingly minor validation gaps can lead to significant system stability issues.