CVE-2010-4666 in libarchive
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in libarchive 3.0 pre-release code allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted CAB file, which is not properly handled during the reading of Huffman code data within LZX compressed data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4666 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within libarchive version 3.0 pre-release code that specifically affects the handling of CAB file compression formats. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and memory management during the processing of LZX compressed data structures, particularly when reading Huffman code data. The vulnerability manifests when the application encounters a specially crafted CAB file that contains malformed LZX compression data, leading to unpredictable behavior in the decompression process.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs within the libarchive library's decompression routines where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to manipulate memory allocation and access patterns during Huffman decoding operations. When the library processes the malformed CAB file, it attempts to read Huffman code data within LZX compressed sections without proper validation of data boundaries, resulting in memory corruption that can trigger application crashes or potentially enable more severe exploitation vectors. This buffer overflow condition specifically impacts the memory management subsystem of libarchive during decompression operations, creating a pathway for unauthorized code execution or system instability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that process untrusted archive files, particularly those handling CAB format files from unknown or unverified sources. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially encompass arbitrary code execution, depending on the specific system configuration and memory layout. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability by crafting malicious CAB files that, when processed by applications using the vulnerable libarchive library, cause the target application to crash or behave unpredictably, potentially allowing for privilege escalation or information disclosure. The vulnerability affects any application that utilizes libarchive for archive processing, including file managers, backup utilities, and content extraction tools.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-4666 should prioritize immediate patching of affected libarchive versions to the stable releases that contain the necessary memory bounds checking and input validation fixes. Organizations should implement strict file format validation procedures and consider deploying sandboxing mechanisms for processing untrusted archive files. Network segmentation and access controls can help limit the potential impact of exploitation attempts, while regular security audits should verify that all systems utilizing libarchive have been updated to patched versions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and may map to ATT&CK technique T1059 for command execution through compromised applications. Additionally, this issue demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory safety practices in archive processing libraries, highlighting the need for comprehensive security testing of compression and decompression routines in software libraries.