CVE-2012-1424 in Sophos
Summary
by MITRE
The TAR file parser in Antiy Labs AVL SDK 2.0.3.7, Quick Heal (aka Cat QuickHeal) 11.00, Jiangmin Antivirus 13.0.900, Norman Antivirus 6.06.12, PC Tools AntiVirus 7.0.3.5, and Sophos Anti-Virus 4.61.0 allows remote attackers to bypass malware detection via a POSIX TAR file with a \19\04\00\10 character sequence at a certain location. NOTE: this may later be SPLIT into multiple CVEs if additional information is published showing that the error occurred independently in different TAR parser implementations.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/26/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-1424 represents a critical flaw in multiple antivirus software implementations that process TAR archive files. This issue affects several major antivirus vendors including Antiy Labs AVL SDK 2.0.3.7, Quick Heal 11.00, Jiangmin Antivirus 13.0.900, Norman Antivirus 6.06.12, PC Tools AntiVirus 7.0.3.5, and Sophos Anti-Virus 4.61.0. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of POSIX TAR file format parsing, specifically when encountering a particular character sequence that can be used to manipulate the detection mechanism of these security products.
The technical flaw manifests when a maliciously crafted TAR file contains the character sequence \19\10 at a specific location within the archive structure. This sequence exploits a parsing weakness in how these antivirus solutions interpret TAR file headers and metadata. The vulnerability operates at the file format parsing layer, where the security software fails to properly validate or sanitize the input data before processing it for malware detection. This particular character sequence appears to be designed to either truncate or manipulate the parsing flow, effectively allowing malicious content to bypass the detection engine entirely. The flaw is particularly concerning because it demonstrates how seemingly benign file format parsing can be weaponized to undermine security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows remote attackers to conduct evasion attacks against multiple antivirus products simultaneously. Attackers can craft TAR files that contain malicious payloads while maintaining the appearance of legitimate archives, thereby circumventing the security controls that organizations rely upon for malware protection. This vulnerability essentially provides a bypass mechanism that could be exploited in targeted attacks, where adversaries might use such crafted archives to deliver malware to systems protected by any of the affected antivirus solutions. The implications extend beyond simple detection bypass, as this flaw could potentially enable more sophisticated attack vectors where attackers manipulate the parsing behavior to execute malicious code or establish persistence within compromised systems.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input boundaries, and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through command-line interface. Organizations using the affected antivirus products face a heightened risk of successful malware delivery through archive-based attacks, particularly when these systems process untrusted files from email attachments, web downloads, or network shares. The fact that this vulnerability affects multiple independent vendors suggests a widespread implementation issue within the TAR parsing libraries used across different security products, indicating that the root cause likely resides in shared parsing code or common library implementations. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it affects a broad spectrum of security solutions and could potentially be exploited in coordinated attacks against various organizations simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of affected antivirus products, implementing additional file validation measures beyond traditional signature-based detection, and deploying network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious TAR file patterns. Security teams should also consider implementing file type restrictions for archive processing and establishing more robust sandboxing mechanisms for handling untrusted archive files. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other potentially affected systems and consider implementing layered security approaches that do not rely solely on signature-based antivirus detection for archive processing. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and boundary checking in security software implementations, particularly when dealing with file format parsing and archive handling functionality.