CVE-2012-1446 in Endpoint Protection AVEngine
Summary
by MITRE
The ELF file parser in Quick Heal (aka Cat QuickHeal) 11.00, McAfee Anti-Virus Scanning Engine 5.400.0.1158, AVEngine 20101.3.0.103 in Symantec Endpoint Protection 11, Norman Antivirus 6.06.12, eSafe 7.0.17.0, Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0.0.125, McAfee Gateway (formerly Webwasher) 2010.1C, Sophos Anti-Virus 4.61.0, CA eTrust Vet Antivirus 36.1.8511, Antiy Labs AVL SDK 2.0.3.7, PC Tools AntiVirus 7.0.3.5, 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 encoding 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.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/01/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-1446 represents a critical flaw in the executable file parsing mechanisms of multiple antivirus solutions, specifically targeting the handling of Executable and Linkable Format (ELF) files. This issue affects a broad spectrum of security products including Quick Heal, Symantec Endpoint Protection, McAfee, Kaspersky, and numerous other antivirus vendors, indicating a widespread implementation weakness in ELF file analysis. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of ELF file encoding fields, which are crucial metadata elements that define the file's architecture and data format characteristics. When an attacker crafts an ELF file with a modified encoding field, the affected antivirus systems fail to properly identify or analyze the malicious payload, thereby allowing malware to evade detection and execution undetected by security controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the ELF file parser's failure to perform adequate validation of the e_ident array's EI_DATA field, which specifies the data encoding of the file. This field should contain values indicating whether the file uses little-endian or big-endian byte ordering, but the affected antivirus products do not properly validate or enforce correct encoding interpretations. The flaw operates at the binary analysis level where the parser accepts malformed ELF files that contain inconsistent or maliciously modified encoding fields, causing the security software to either misclassify the file or fail to apply appropriate malware analysis routines. This represents a classic case of insufficient input validation and weak file format parsing, categorized under CWE-20 as "Improper Input Validation" and CWE-129 as "Improper Validation of Array Index," though the primary issue manifests in the context of file format parsing rather than array handling.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond individual system compromises, as it affects enterprise security infrastructure that relies on consistent and reliable malware detection across multiple platforms. Attackers can exploit this weakness by creating ELF files that appear legitimate to security scanners while harboring malicious code, effectively bypassing protection mechanisms designed to detect and neutralize threats. This vulnerability particularly impacts environments where Linux-based malware is prevalent, as ELF files are the standard executable format for Linux operating systems. The potential for widespread exploitation exists given that the flaw affects multiple vendors, suggesting that organizations using any of these affected antivirus solutions face similar risks. The vulnerability enables attackers to maintain persistence in systems, escalate privileges, and potentially establish backdoors, as the security controls fail to identify malicious activity within the ELF file structure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected antivirus software versions, as vendors typically release updates that correct the ELF file parsing logic and implement proper encoding validation. Organizations should also implement layered security approaches including network-based detection systems, behavioral analysis tools, and regular security audits to compensate for the temporary gap in protection. Security teams must conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected antivirus versions and prioritize remediation efforts. The implementation of additional security controls such as application whitelisting, network segmentation, and continuous monitoring can help reduce the impact of this vulnerability while patches are deployed. Organizations should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious ELF file transfers or execution patterns, as these systems can provide an additional layer of defense against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper file format validation in security software and underscores the need for comprehensive testing of parsing logic against malformed inputs, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through ELF files and T1070.006 for bypassing security controls through file format manipulation.