CVE-2015-1846 in Unzoo
Summary
by MITRE
unzoo allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop and resource consumption) via unspecified vectors to the (1) ExtrArch or (2) ListArch function, related to pointer handling.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/18/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1846 resides within the unzoo utility, a tool designed for extracting and listing archive contents. This flaw manifests as a denial of service condition that can be exploited by remote attackers to induce infinite loops and excessive resource consumption. The vulnerability specifically affects two core functions within the utility: ExtrArch and ListArch, both of which are responsible for handling archive extraction and listing operations respectively. The root cause of this vulnerability lies in improper pointer handling mechanisms that fail to adequately validate or manage memory references during archive processing operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of improper pointer management that can be exploited through crafted archive inputs. When the ExtrArch or ListArch functions process malformed or specially constructed archive files, the pointer handling logic fails to properly terminate loop iterations or validate memory access patterns. This leads to scenarios where the utility enters infinite loops while attempting to process archive structures, consuming excessive CPU cycles and memory resources. The flaw represents a type of resource exhaustion vulnerability that can be leveraged to disrupt system availability, making it particularly concerning in environments where unzoo is used for automated archive processing or in network-facing applications.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for systems that rely on unzoo for archive management tasks. The infinite loop behavior can cause system resources to become unavailable for legitimate operations, potentially leading to system instability or complete service disruption. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by submitting maliciously crafted archive files that trigger the problematic pointer handling code paths. The remote exploitability means that systems processing untrusted archive content, such as web applications accepting file uploads or automated backup systems, become vulnerable to this type of denial of service attack. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-674, which addresses uncontrolled resource consumption, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for resource exhaustion attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-1846 should focus on implementing input validation and robust error handling within the unzoo utility. System administrators should ensure that all versions of unzoo are updated to patched releases that address the pointer handling issues in the affected functions. Additionally, implementing proper timeout mechanisms and resource limits when processing archive files can help prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be employed to limit exposure of systems running unzoo to untrusted inputs. Organizations should also consider implementing automated monitoring for unusual resource consumption patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper memory management practices and highlights the need for thorough testing of pointer handling logic in archive processing utilities. Security teams should conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify and remediate similar issues in other archive processing tools and utilities within their infrastructure.