CVE-2013-4458 in C Library
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in the getaddrinfo function in sysdeps/posix/getaddrinfo.c in GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) 2.18 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a (1) hostname or (2) IP address that triggers a large number of AF_INET6 address results. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2013-1914.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2022
The CVE-2013-4458 vulnerability represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow affecting the GNU C Library implementation of the getaddrinfo function. This flaw resides in the sysdeps/posix/getaddrinfo.c file within glibc versions 2.18 and earlier, making it a fundamental issue within the core system library that handles network address resolution. The vulnerability specifically manifests when processing hostnames or IP addresses that trigger an excessive number of AF_INET6 address results, creating a condition where the stack buffer cannot accommodate the resulting data structure. The flaw emerged as an incomplete remediation for CVE-2013-1914, indicating that previous attempts to address similar buffer overflow conditions were insufficient and created a new attack surface that adversaries could exploit.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the way getaddrinfo handles address resolution for IPv6 addresses when multiple results are generated. When a hostname resolves to numerous AF_INET6 addresses, the function fails to properly validate or limit the buffer allocation, causing stack corruption that ultimately leads to program termination. The stack-based nature of this overflow means that attackers can manipulate memory layout to cause crashes, effectively enabling a denial of service attack against any application relying on glibc's name resolution functions. This vulnerability operates at a low level within the system, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect any service or application that performs DNS lookups or network address resolution, including web servers, mail servers, and network daemons.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-4458 extends beyond simple service disruption to represent a potential vector for more sophisticated attacks. While the immediate effect is a denial of service causing system crashes, the underlying buffer overflow condition creates opportunities for memory corruption that could potentially be leveraged for code execution in certain scenarios. The vulnerability affects systems running glibc 2.18 and earlier versions, which encompasses a significant portion of Linux distributions from that era, making it particularly widespread. Any network service that utilizes getaddrinfo for hostname resolution becomes a potential target, including but not limited to HTTP servers, FTP servers, SMTP services, and SSH daemons that may perform reverse DNS lookups or address validation. The attack vector is particularly insidious because it requires minimal privileges and can be triggered through normal network traffic, making it difficult to distinguish from legitimate network activity.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-4458 primarily focus on system updates and configuration hardening. The most effective approach involves upgrading to glibc versions 2.19 or later where the vulnerability has been properly addressed through enhanced buffer validation and size checking mechanisms. System administrators should prioritize patching affected systems and verify that all applications relying on getaddrinfo have been updated accordingly. Additional protective measures include implementing network-level filtering to limit the number of address resolution requests, configuring applications to use alternative address resolution functions when possible, and monitoring for unusual patterns in DNS resolution requests that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems capable of identifying malformed DNS responses that could trigger this vulnerability, as well as establishing proper system logging and alerting mechanisms to detect service disruptions caused by this flaw. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution, representing a critical security gap that requires immediate remediation to maintain system integrity and availability.