CVE-2016-2380 in Pidgin
Summary
by MITRE
An information leak exists in the handling of the MXIT protocol in Pidgin. Specially crafted MXIT data sent to the server could potentially result in an out-of-bounds read. A user could be convinced to enter a particular string which would then get converted incorrectly and could lead to a potential out-of-bounds read.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2380 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Pidgin's implementation of the MXIT protocol handling mechanism. This issue specifically affects the client-side processing of MXIT protocol data, which is used for instant messaging services. The MXIT protocol is a proprietary messaging protocol that Pidgin supports for connecting to certain messaging networks, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for users who rely on this communication method.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within Pidgin's MXIT protocol parser. When maliciously crafted MXIT data is received by the client, the application fails to properly validate the incoming data structure before processing it. This lack of proper bounds checking leads to an out-of-bounds read condition where the application attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. The flaw manifests when a user encounters specially crafted MXIT data that triggers incorrect data conversion routines, causing the application to read memory that it should not have access to.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information leakage, as it creates potential pathways for attackers to extract sensitive data from the application's memory space. An attacker who can convince a victim to interact with malicious MXIT data could potentially access confidential information including session tokens, user credentials, or other sensitive application data. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal user interaction, as the malicious data can be triggered through normal messaging operations. This makes it an attractive target for social engineering attacks where users might inadvertently encounter crafted messages that trigger the exploit.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and control communications. The flaw represents a classic buffer overflow vulnerability that has been mitigated through proper input validation and memory management practices. Organizations using Pidgin for MXIT protocol communications should prioritize immediate patching, as the vulnerability can be exploited without requiring elevated privileges or complex attack vectors. The security community has classified this as a medium to high severity issue due to its potential for information disclosure and the ease with which users can be tricked into encountering malicious data.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment for all affected Pidgin installations, along with network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should implement network segmentation to limit exposure of MXIT protocol services and consider disabling MXIT support entirely if the protocol is not essential for business operations. Regular security assessments should include verification of proper input validation mechanisms, and application whitelisting can help prevent unauthorized code execution that might attempt to exploit similar buffer overflow conditions. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of robust input validation and memory safety practices in instant messaging applications.