CVE-2009-0769 in QIP
Summary
by MITRE
QIP 2005 build 8082 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption and application hang) via a crafted Rich Text Format (RTF) ICQ message, as demonstrated by an {\rtf\pict\&&} message. NOTE: the vulnerability may be in Sergey Tkachenko TRichView. If so, then this should not be treated as a vulnerability in QIP.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-0769 represents a significant denial of service weakness in QIP 2005 build 8082 that leverages crafted Rich Text Format messages to consume excessive system resources. This flaw specifically targets the handling of ICQ messages containing malicious RTF content, with the demonstration payload utilizing the sequence {rtf\pict\&&} to trigger the vulnerability. The issue manifests as excessive cpu consumption and application hanging, effectively rendering the affected messaging client unusable for legitimate communication purposes. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, exploiting improper input validation and processing of rich text formatting elements within the messaging protocol implementation.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient sanitization and validation of RTF content within the QIP messaging client's message processing pipeline. When the application encounters the crafted RTF message containing the malicious sequence, it fails to properly handle the formatting instructions, leading to resource exhaustion through recursive or excessive processing of the malformed content. This behavior aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes unchecked resource consumption as a critical weakness in software systems. The vulnerability demonstrates how improper handling of rich text formatting can create exploitable conditions that consume system resources without proper bounds checking or timeout mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the availability of communication services for users relying on QIP 2005. Attackers can leverage this weakness to repeatedly send malicious messages, causing sustained resource exhaustion that may require manual intervention to resolve, including application restarts or system reboots. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers need not have physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where users may receive messages from untrusted sources. This attack vector falls under the ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service, specifically targeting application availability through resource exhaustion.
The vulnerability's potential scope is further complicated by the noted possibility that the issue may actually reside within the third-party TRichView component developed by Sergey Tkachenko rather than in QIP itself. This distinction is crucial for proper vulnerability classification and remediation, as it would shift responsibility from the QIP developers to the TRichView component maintainers. When a vulnerability originates from a third-party library, the affected software vendor must either update to a patched version of the component or implement workarounds within their own codebase. This scenario exemplifies how dependencies in modern software systems can create cascading security implications that extend far beyond the primary application's codebase. Organizations should conduct thorough component inventory reviews and maintain updated vulnerability assessments to identify such indirect security risks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of RTF content filtering and validation mechanisms within the messaging client, along with establishing resource limits and timeout parameters for message processing operations. Network administrators should consider implementing message filtering rules that block RTF content from untrusted sources, while software vendors should prioritize updating to versions that either patch the TRichView component or implement alternative text processing approaches. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of secure coding practices in handling rich text formatting, particularly in applications that process user-generated content. Organizations should maintain updated security patches for all third-party components and establish monitoring procedures to detect abnormal resource consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical need for comprehensive security testing that includes input validation, resource management, and third-party component assessment in messaging and communication applications.