CVE-2009-0449 in Kaspersky
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in klim5.sys in Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Workstations 6.0 and Anti-Virus 2008 allows local users to gain privileges via an IOCTL 0x80052110 call.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/22/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2009-0449 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the kernel-mode driver component of Kaspersky Anti-Virus software. This issue affects Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Workstations 6.0 and Anti-Virus 2008 versions, specifically within the klim5.sys driver module that handles various system-level operations. The vulnerability manifests when the driver processes an IOCTL (Input/Output Control) call with the specific identifier 0x80052110, which is used for communication between user-mode applications and the kernel-mode driver. This particular IOCTL call is designed to interact with the driver's kernel-level functionality, making it a prime target for privilege escalation attacks. The flaw resides in the driver's insufficient input validation and boundary checking mechanisms, which fail to properly validate the size and content of data structures passed to the vulnerable function.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the klim5.sys driver. When a local user application sends the specific IOCTL 0x80052110 request to the driver, the kernel component does not adequately verify the length of incoming data buffers before copying them into fixed-size memory locations. This lack of proper bounds checking creates a condition where an attacker can overflow the allocated buffer space, potentially overwriting adjacent memory locations including function return addresses, stack canaries, or other critical control data. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level, meaning that successful exploitation would allow a local attacker with standard user privileges to escalate their access rights to the full system administrator level. According to CWE classification, this represents a classic buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-121) that enables privilege escalation through improper input validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple local privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with complete system compromise capabilities. Local users who can execute code on the target system can leverage this vulnerability to gain kernel-level privileges, effectively bypassing all standard operating system security controls and access restrictions. Once elevated, an attacker could modify system files, install rootkits, disable security features, or extract sensitive information from the compromised system. The attack vector requires local system access and the ability to execute code, making it particularly dangerous in environments where user accounts might be compromised through social engineering, phishing, or other attack vectors. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Local Privilege Escalation', and T1543, which involves 'Create or Modify System Process'. The attack chain typically begins with a user-level compromise, followed by exploitation of the kernel driver vulnerability to achieve system-level control.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-0449 must address both immediate remediation and long-term security posture improvements. The most effective immediate solution involves applying the vendor-provided security patches or updates that correct the buffer overflow condition in the klim5.sys driver. Organizations should also implement strict access controls to limit local user privileges and monitor for unauthorized IOCTL calls to kernel drivers. System administrators should consider disabling unnecessary kernel-mode driver interfaces and implementing kernel-mode exploit prevention mechanisms such as DEP (Data Execution Prevention) and ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization). Regular security audits of installed security software should include verification of driver integrity and proper input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper kernel-mode security practices and demonstrates how even legitimate security software can contain critical flaws that attackers can exploit to gain system control. Organizations should maintain updated threat intelligence feeds to identify similar vulnerabilities in other security products and implement comprehensive patch management processes to ensure timely remediation of such critical flaws.