CVE-2017-17410 in Internet Security
Summary
by MITRE
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable installations of Bitdefender Internet Security 2018. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within emulator 0x102 in cevakrnl.xmd. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a write past the end of an allocated object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code under the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-5116.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/17/2019
This vulnerability represents a critical remote code execution flaw in Bitdefender Internet Security 2018 that demonstrates a classic buffer overflow condition within the kernel-mode component cevakrnl.xmd. The vulnerability exists specifically within emulator 0x102, which processes user-supplied data without adequate validation mechanisms. This type of flaw falls under CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and more specifically aligns with CWE-787, indicating an out-of-bounds write that occurs when data is written past the end of a buffer. The vulnerability requires user interaction to be exploited, meaning that an attacker must convince a target to visit a malicious webpage or open a crafted file, making this a prime example of a client-side attack vector that leverages social engineering as part of its exploitation strategy.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the kernel-mode driver, where user-supplied data flows directly into memory operations without sufficient bounds checking or sanitization. When the emulator 0x102 processes malicious input, it fails to verify that the data length matches the allocated buffer size, allowing an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory locations. This memory corruption can be manipulated to overwrite critical control structures such as return addresses or function pointers, enabling arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because successful exploitation results in code execution under the SYSTEM context, which provides the highest level of privileges available within the Windows operating system. This privilege escalation capability means that an attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain complete control over the affected system, potentially leading to data exfiltration, persistence mechanisms, or further network reconnaissance.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations using Bitdefender Internet Security 2018, as it represents a sophisticated attack vector that can bypass traditional endpoint protection measures. The requirement for user interaction means that organizations must implement comprehensive user education programs alongside technical controls, as the attack chain involves both technical exploitation and social engineering components. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059, which covers command and scripting interpreter, as the successful exploitation would allow attackers to execute commands with system-level privileges. The attack surface for this vulnerability includes web browsers, email clients, and any application that might process files through the Bitdefender kernel driver, making it a particularly dangerous flaw in an endpoint security solution that is designed to protect against such threats.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patch as soon as it becomes available, which would address the underlying buffer overflow condition by implementing proper input validation and bounds checking. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on unusual outbound connections or file transfers. The vulnerability's classification as a kernel-mode exploit means that traditional user-level security controls may be insufficient, requiring system-level monitoring and integrity checking mechanisms to detect potential compromise. Security teams should also conduct vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running the affected Bitdefender version and ensure that automatic update mechanisms are enabled to prevent future exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should review their incident response procedures to ensure readiness for potential exploitation of this vulnerability, as the SYSTEM-level privilege escalation capability makes this a high-priority target for advanced persistent threat actors.