CVE-2016-2208 in Anti-Virus Engine
Summary
by MITRE
The kernel component in Symantec Anti-Virus Engine (AVE) 20151.1 before 20151.1.1.4 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory access violation and system crash) via a malformed PE header file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/11/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2208 represents a critical security flaw within the kernel component of Symantec Anti-Virus Engine version 20151.1 and earlier. This issue affects the enterprise security solution that processes executable files to detect and neutralize malicious software threats. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the antivirus engine's kernel, specifically when handling Portable Executable (PE) header structures. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious PE files with malformed headers that trigger unexpected behavior in the antivirus processing pipeline.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves memory access violations that occur when the Symantec AVE engine attempts to parse malformed PE headers without proper bounds checking or validation. When the kernel component encounters such malformed structures, it fails to properly handle memory allocation and access patterns, leading to unpredictable system behavior. This flaw manifests as either arbitrary code execution privileges for remote attackers who can craft malicious payloads, or as denial of service conditions that cause system crashes and complete service interruption. The vulnerability specifically targets the PE file format parsing logic that is fundamental to antivirus engines' operation, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered by any executable file that passes through the affected system.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability creates significant risk for enterprise environments that rely on Symantec's antivirus solutions for endpoint protection. The remote code execution capability allows attackers to gain unauthorized system access and potentially escalate privileges, while the denial of service component can be used to disrupt critical business operations. The impact extends beyond individual system compromise to potentially affect entire network infrastructures where the antivirus engine serves as a central security control. Organizations using affected versions face increased exposure to persistent threats and potential data breaches, as the vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, and removable media.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including deployment of the patched Symantec AVE version 20151.1.1.4, which addresses the memory access violation issues through improved input validation and bounds checking mechanisms. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts, while regular vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify other potential attack vectors. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read and CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write, both of which are common in kernel-level security flaws. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and control communications and T1489 for system shutdown/reboot, as the denial of service component can be used to disrupt system availability. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as application whitelisting, sandboxing of suspicious files, and enhanced logging to detect anomalous behavior patterns associated with exploitation attempts.