CVE-2009-20008 in Green Dam Youth Escort
Summary
by MITRE • 08/30/2025
Green Dam Youth Escort version 3.17 is vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow when processing overly long URLs. The flaw resides in the URL filtering component, which fails to properly validate input length before copying user-supplied data into a fixed-size buffer. A remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability by enticing a user to visit a specially crafted webpage containing a long URL, resulting in arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2025
The Green Dam Youth Escort version 3.17 contains a critical stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability that represents a significant security weakness in the software's URL processing functionality. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the URL filtering component, which serves as a core security mechanism designed to monitor and control web content access. The flaw manifests when the application encounters URLs exceeding the allocated buffer size, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by malicious actors to compromise system integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows a classic stack-based buffer overflow pattern where user-supplied data is copied into a fixed-size buffer without proper bounds checking. The URL filtering component fails to enforce length limitations before processing incoming web addresses, allowing an attacker to craft malicious URLs that exceed the predetermined buffer capacity. This insufficient validation creates a condition where the overflow occurs in the stack memory region, potentially overwriting adjacent memory locations including return addresses and control data structures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it enables arbitrary code execution capabilities that can be exploited remotely. An attacker can construct a specially crafted webpage containing an excessively long URL that triggers the buffer overflow when processed by the vulnerable software. This remote exploitation vector allows malicious actors to execute code within the context of the application process, potentially gaining unauthorized access to system resources, escalating privileges, or establishing persistent access to compromised systems.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations categorized under CWE-121 stack-based buffer overflow conditions that are frequently targeted in exploit development. The attack pattern follows typical remote code execution methodologies described in the attack tree framework, where initial access is gained through web-based delivery mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices that violate fundamental security principles and represent a failure to implement proper bounds checking mechanisms in the software's core processing functions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate software updates from the vendor to address the buffer overflow condition, along with network-level controls that can filter or block suspicious URL patterns. Organizations should implement application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of potentially vulnerable software components and establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous URL processing activities. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing web proxy filtering solutions that can identify and block malicious URLs before they reach vulnerable endpoints, while system administrators should ensure proper software patch management protocols are in place to address similar vulnerabilities in other security applications.