CVE-2009-0878 in Wesnoth
Summary
by MITRE
The read_game_map function in src/terrain_translation.cpp in Wesnoth before r32987 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption and daemon hang) via a map with a large (1) width or (2) height.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/01/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-0878 affects the Wesnoth tactical turn-based strategy game engine, specifically within the terrain_translation.cpp source file. This issue manifests in the read_game_map function which processes map data during game initialization and loading phases. The vulnerability represents a classic denial of service condition that can be exploited by remote attackers through malformed map files, potentially causing significant system resource exhaustion and application hang conditions. The flaw exists in versions of Wesnoth prior to revision r32987, indicating this was a known issue that was subsequently addressed in the codebase.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the map parsing routine. When the read_game_map function processes map files containing excessively large width or height parameters, the game engine fails to properly constrain memory allocation based on these dimensions. This allows attackers to craft malicious map files with artificially inflated size parameters that cause the application to attempt allocating excessive memory resources. The vulnerability specifically targets the width and height fields of map structures, where the game engine does not validate that these values remain within reasonable bounds relative to the game's operational constraints.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to game servers and online platforms that allow user-generated content or map sharing. Remote attackers can exploit this flaw by uploading or sharing map files with maliciously large dimensions, causing the game daemon to consume excessive memory resources and potentially freeze or crash the service. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as the memory consumption can lead to system instability, affecting other processes running on the same host machine. This type of denial of service attack can be particularly damaging in multiplayer gaming environments where persistent service availability is critical for user experience and platform reputation.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-770, which addresses allocation of resources without limits or with inadequate limits, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1499.3, specifically the use of resource exhaustion attacks against applications. The flaw represents a failure to implement proper bounds checking and input sanitization, which are fundamental security practices for preventing such denial of service conditions. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to Wesnoth revision r32987 or later, implementing map file validation routines, and establishing size limitations for user-uploaded content. Additionally, network-level filtering and rate limiting mechanisms can help reduce the impact of potential exploitation attempts while the software is being patched or updated across affected systems.