CVE-2016-10109 in PCSC-Lite
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in pcsc-lite before 1.8.20 allows a remote attackers to cause denial of service (crash) via a command that uses "cardsList" after the handle has been released through the SCardReleaseContext function.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/24/2024
The CVE-2016-10109 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in the pcsc-lite library version 1.8.19 and earlier, which serves as a foundational component for smart card communication across multiple operating systems and applications. This vulnerability specifically affects the handling of smart card contexts within the PC/SC (Personal Computer/Smart Card) architecture, where applications and services rely on pcsc-lite to establish and manage connections to smart card readers and tokens. The flaw manifests when a command attempts to access a "cardsList" structure that has already been freed through the SCardReleaseContext function, creating a scenario where memory that was previously deallocated is still being referenced. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category of Use After Free, which is classified as a severe memory safety issue that can lead to arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a remote attacker to craft specific commands that trigger the problematic code path within pcsc-lite, particularly when the library processes smart card enumeration or list operations. When an application calls SCardReleaseContext to release a smart card context, the underlying memory structures associated with that context are freed, but subsequent operations that reference the "cardsList" field can cause the system to attempt to access already deallocated memory. This creates a crash condition that manifests as a denial of service, effectively disrupting legitimate smart card operations and potentially allowing attackers to exhaust system resources or cause application instability. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because pcsc-lite is widely deployed across enterprise environments, mobile platforms, and embedded systems where smart card authentication and security operations are critical.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it can compromise the security posture of systems that rely on smart card authentication mechanisms. When exploited, the vulnerability can cause cascading failures in smart card services, potentially affecting applications such as enterprise authentication systems, digital signature verification platforms, and secure access control solutions that depend on reliable pcsc-lite functionality. The attack vector being remote means that adversaries can potentially exploit this vulnerability from outside the target network, making it particularly dangerous for systems that expose smart card services over network connections. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1499.004 for Endpoint Denial of Service, as it enables attackers to disrupt service availability through memory corruption attacks.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to pcsc-lite version 1.8.20 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this use-after-free vulnerability. System administrators should also implement monitoring for unusual smart card service behavior and consider isolating smart card services in network segments to limit potential attack surface. Additional mitigations include applying least privilege principles to smart card service accounts, implementing network segmentation to restrict access to smart card interfaces, and conducting regular security assessments of smart card infrastructure. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security libraries and the potential consequences of memory safety issues in widely deployed system components. Security teams should also consider implementing automated patch management processes to ensure timely remediation of similar vulnerabilities in other system libraries and applications that may be susceptible to similar memory corruption issues.