CVE-2016-10722 in partclone
Summary
by MITRE
partclone.fat in Partclone before 0.2.88 is prone to a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability due to insufficient validation of the FAT superblock, related to the mark_reserved_sectors function. An attacker may be able to execute arbitrary code in the context of the user running the affected application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10722 affects partclone.fat, a component within the Partclone utility suite designed for cloning and restoring filesystems. This particular flaw exists in versions prior to 0.2.88 and represents a heap-based buffer overflow that stems from inadequate validation of the FAT superblock structure. The vulnerability specifically manifests within the mark_reserved_sectors function, which processes filesystem metadata during the cloning operation. The root cause lies in the insufficient bounds checking and input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize the superblock data before processing, creating an exploitable condition where attacker-controlled data can overwrite adjacent memory regions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when partclone.fat processes a malformed FAT superblock structure that contains oversized or malformed reserved sector counts. The mark_reserved_sectors function does not adequately validate the size parameter before using it to allocate memory or copy data into heap-allocated buffers. This oversight allows an attacker who can control the input filesystem data to craft a malicious FAT superblock that triggers the buffer overflow condition. The heap corruption resulting from this overflow can potentially be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the partclone.fat utility, typically a system administrator or power user. This represents a significant security risk as it could enable privilege escalation or system compromise through carefully crafted filesystem images.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it affects the integrity and security of system backup and recovery operations. Organizations relying on Partclone for filesystem cloning and restoration may be vulnerable to attacks that compromise their backup infrastructure. The vulnerability particularly impacts environments where untrusted filesystem images are processed, such as in cloud computing environments, backup servers, or systems that accept filesystem images from external sources. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, which is a well-documented and dangerous class of vulnerability that can lead to complete system compromise. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique, as the vulnerability allows execution in the context of a user with elevated privileges, potentially enabling further lateral movement within a compromised environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-10722 focus primarily on upgrading to Partclone version 0.2.88 or later, which includes proper input validation and bounds checking for the FAT superblock processing. System administrators should also implement strict file validation procedures for filesystem images and consider sandboxing operations involving untrusted data. Additional protective measures include limiting the execution privileges of partclone.fat operations, monitoring for unusual memory allocation patterns, and implementing network segmentation to prevent unauthorized access to backup systems. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in filesystem utilities and highlights the potential for seemingly benign backup tools to become attack vectors when insufficient security controls are implemented. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their backup infrastructure and ensure all system utilities are maintained at current security patch levels to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in other components of their security infrastructure.