CVE-2010-4025 in Palm webOS
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Doc Viewer in HP Palm webOS 1.4.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted document, as demonstrated by a Word document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4025 represents a critical security flaw in the Doc Viewer component of HP Palm webOS version 1.4.1. This issue affects mobile devices running the palm operating system and demonstrates the inherent risks associated with document parsing functionality in mobile environments. The vulnerability resides within the document viewer application that processes various file formats including Microsoft Word documents, creating a potential attack surface for remote code execution.
This unspecified vulnerability specifically targets the document parsing mechanism within the Doc Viewer application, which is designed to handle and display various document formats on mobile devices. The flaw allows remote attackers to craft malicious documents that, when processed by the vulnerable system, can trigger arbitrary code execution. The demonstration of this vulnerability using a Word document indicates that the issue stems from improper input validation and memory handling during document processing operations. The vulnerability essentially allows an attacker to bypass normal execution constraints and run malicious code directly on the target device.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote code execution without requiring local access to the device. Attackers can exploit this weakness by sending malicious documents through various communication channels such as email attachments, file sharing services, or web downloads. Once a user opens the crafted document, the malicious code executes automatically, potentially leading to complete device compromise. This vulnerability undermines the fundamental security model of mobile operating systems by allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the document viewer application, which typically runs with elevated permissions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common software security flaws categorized under CWE-125, which deals with out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which addresses out-of-bounds write conditions. These classifications reflect the memory corruption aspects that typically enable remote code execution in document processing applications. From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically focusing on the use of document-based attacks to establish execution footholds. The vulnerability also corresponds to T1203, which involves exploitation of remote services through document parsing mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-4025 should include immediate deployment of firmware updates from HP that address the document parsing vulnerability in the webOS platform. Organizations should implement network-level filtering to block suspicious document attachments and establish strict policies regarding document handling on mobile devices. Users should be educated about the risks of opening unknown or untrusted documents, particularly those received via email or downloaded from unverified sources. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict which document types can be processed by the device, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other document processing components. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices in mobile environments and the necessity of thorough security testing for all document handling functionality in mobile operating systems.