CVE-2013-6482 in Pidgin
Summary
by MITRE
Pidgin before 2.10.8 allows remote MSN servers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and crash) via a crafted (1) SOAP response, (2) OIM XML response, or (3) Content-Length header.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-6482 affects Pidgin messaging client versions prior to 2.10.8, presenting a critical denial of service risk through remote exploitation of MSN protocol handling mechanisms. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the client's processing of various MSN server responses and headers, creating opportunities for malicious actors to disrupt service availability. The flaw manifests when Pidgin encounters crafted responses from MSN servers that contain malformed SOAP data, OIM XML structures, or manipulated Content-Length headers. These specific attack vectors leverage the client's failure to properly sanitize and validate incoming protocol data, leading to critical execution errors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a NULL pointer dereference condition that occurs during the parsing of malformed MSN protocol elements. When Pidgin attempts to process the crafted SOAP response, OIM XML response, or Content-Length header, the application fails to perform adequate null checks before dereferencing pointers to memory locations. This results in a segmentation fault or access violation that causes the application to crash and terminate unexpectedly. The vulnerability operates at the protocol parsing layer where Pidgin handles MSN-specific communication elements, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through normal messaging operations without requiring special privileges or authentication. The attack vector is remote and can be executed by malicious MSN servers or man-in-the-middle attackers who can intercept and modify legitimate MSN communications.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant availability risks for users relying on Pidgin for MSN messaging services. The denial of service condition affects not only individual user sessions but can potentially impact broader communication networks where Pidgin is deployed as a messaging solution. The crash occurs during normal message processing, meaning that users may experience unexpected application termination while engaged in conversations or receiving messages. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where Pidgin might be used as part of communication infrastructure, as it can lead to service disruption and user productivity loss. The remote nature of the attack means that users are vulnerable even when communicating with legitimate MSN servers that may have been compromised or when network traffic is intercepted and modified by attackers.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-476 which describes NULL pointer dereference conditions in software implementations, and represents a classic example of improper input validation in network protocol handlers. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004 which covers network denial of service attacks, and potentially T1566 which involves initial access through malicious content delivery. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Pidgin installations to address this vulnerability. The recommended mitigation includes upgrading to Pidgin version 2.10.8 or later, which contains proper input validation and null pointer checks for MSN protocol elements. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing monitoring for unusual MSN protocol traffic patterns and ensure that all messaging clients are regularly updated to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the future.