CVE-2016-2368 in Pidgin
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple memory corruption vulnerabilities exist in the handling of the MXIT protocol in Pidgin. Specially crafted MXIT data sent via the server could result in multiple buffer overflows, potentially resulting in code execution or memory disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2025
The CVE-2016-2368 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in Pidgin messaging client that affects the MXIT protocol implementation. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management when processing specially crafted MXIT protocol data transmitted through servers. The MXIT protocol is used for instant messaging and communication within the MXIT messaging service, which was popular in certain regions including South Africa and other African markets. The vulnerability manifests as multiple buffer overflows that occur during the parsing and handling of malformed MXIT data packets, creating opportunities for remote code execution or information disclosure attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient memory allocation occurs during dynamic memory management. The flaw specifically impacts the memory handling routines within Pidgin's MXIT protocol plugin, where incoming data structures are not properly validated before being copied into fixed-size buffers. When malicious actors send specially crafted MXIT protocol messages containing oversized or malformed data fields, the application fails to enforce proper bounds checking, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited to overwrite adjacent memory locations. This memory corruption can potentially be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected user or to disclose sensitive memory contents.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations and individuals using Pidgin with MXIT protocol support, particularly in environments where communication security is paramount. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability remotely by sending malicious MXIT data through legitimate server connections, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise settings where Pidgin is used for internal communications. The potential for code execution means that compromised systems could be turned into command and control nodes, while memory disclosure could reveal sensitive information including user credentials, session tokens, or other confidential data. This vulnerability particularly affects users in regions where MXIT protocol support was actively used, creating a substantial risk for those who continued using the protocol after the vulnerability was disclosed.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1059.007 for command and script interpreter execution, T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, and T1005 for data from local system. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management and input validation in client applications that handle external protocol data. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Pidgin installations and consider disabling MXIT protocol support if the service is not actively required. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual MXIT protocol traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also implement proper input sanitization measures and consider using memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization to mitigate potential exploitation. The vulnerability underscores the critical need for regular security assessments of third-party plugins and protocols within messaging applications, as these components often represent attack surfaces that receive less scrutiny than core application functionality.