CVE-2012-1445 in Rising
Summary
by MITRE
The ELF file parser in eSafe 7.0.17.0, Rising Antivirus 22.83.00.03, Fortinet Antivirus 4.2.254.0, and Panda Antivirus 10.0.2.7 allows remote attackers to bypass malware detection via an ELF file with a modified abi field. NOTE: this may later be SPLIT into multiple CVEs if additional information is published showing that the error occurred independently in different ELF parser implementations.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1445 represents a critical flaw in multiple commercial antivirus solutions that affects their ability to properly parse and analyze executable files on Linux systems. This issue specifically targets the ELF (Executable and Linkable Format) file parser implementations within various antivirus products including eSafe 7.0.17.0, Rising Antivirus 22.83.00.03, Fortinet Antivirus 4.2.254.0, and Panda Antivirus 10.0.2.7. The vulnerability stems from an insufficient validation mechanism that fails to properly verify the integrity of the ELF file's application binary interface field, creating a potential attack vector for sophisticated malware authors seeking to evade detection.
The technical flaw manifests when an attacker crafts an ELF file with a modified abi field that does not conform to standard expectations. This modification allows malicious code to bypass the antivirus detection mechanisms by exploiting the parser's inadequate validation logic. The abi field in ELF files serves as a crucial identifier for the application binary interface version, and when this field is manipulated, it can cause the antivirus software to misclassify the file or fail to recognize it as a potential threat. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-20 category of "Improper Input Validation" and demonstrates a classic case of insufficient sanitization of file metadata that can be leveraged for privilege escalation and code execution attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple malware evasion, as it represents a fundamental weakness in the defensive posture of organizations relying on these antivirus solutions for Linux system protection. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to deploy sophisticated malware payloads that would otherwise be detected by standard signature-based and heuristic analysis mechanisms. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where Linux servers and workstations are protected by these antivirus solutions, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise and persistent backdoor access. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.006 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: Python" and T1566.001 for "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment" when considering how attackers might package malicious payloads to exploit this weakness.
Organizations utilizing the affected antivirus products should immediately implement mitigations including updating to patched versions of their antivirus software, implementing additional file validation layers, and conducting comprehensive security assessments of their Linux environments. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution threat means that attackers can exploit this weakness without requiring local system access, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments. Security teams should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems that can monitor for suspicious ELF file patterns and anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The potential for this vulnerability to be split into multiple CVEs as additional information emerges suggests that similar weaknesses may exist in other antivirus implementations, warranting broader security assessments across all endpoint protection solutions in use.
The broader implications of CVE-2012-1445 highlight the importance of robust file format parsing in security software and demonstrate how seemingly minor implementation flaws can create significant security risks. This vulnerability serves as a reminder that antivirus vendors must maintain rigorous testing protocols for file format parsing and validation, particularly for cross-platform security solutions that must handle multiple executable formats including ELF files on Linux systems. The incident underscores the necessity of continuous security validation and the importance of maintaining up-to-date threat intelligence to protect against evolving attack vectors that target defensive software itself rather than the systems it protects.