CVE-2017-20186 in ckSurf
Summary
by MITRE • 08/28/2023
** UNSUPPORTED WHEN ASSIGNED ** A vulnerability was found in nikooo777 ckSurf up to 1.19.2. It has been declared as problematic. This vulnerability affects the function SpecListMenuDead of the file csgo/addons/sourcemod/scripting/ckSurf/misc.sp of the component Spectator List Name Handler. The manipulation of the argument cleanName leads to denial of service. Upgrading to version 1.21.0 is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is fd6318d99083a06363091441a0614bd2f21068e6. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-238156. NOTE: This vulnerability only affects products that are no longer supported by the maintainer.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/02/2025
This vulnerability exists within the ckSurf plugin for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, specifically in the SpecListMenuDead function located in the csgo/addons/sourcemod/scripting/ckSurf/misc.sp file. The issue stems from improper handling of the cleanName argument within the Spectator List Name Handler component, creating a potential denial of service condition that can be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability was identified in versions up to 1.19.2 and has been officially addressed in version 1.21.0 through the patch with commit hash fd6318d99083a06363091441a0614bd2f21068e6. This represents a classic buffer over-read or improper input validation flaw that can lead to system instability and service disruption.
The technical flaw manifests when the SpecListMenuDead function processes the cleanName parameter without adequate bounds checking or sanitization, allowing attackers to manipulate input data in a way that causes the plugin to crash or become unresponsive. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-129, which covers improper validation of array indices, and can also be categorized as CWE-20, representing improper input validation. The denial of service condition occurs because the function fails to properly validate the length or content of the cleanName argument before processing it, leading to potential memory corruption or execution flow disruption.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for gaming servers that rely on the ckSurf plugin for their competitive or recreational activities. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption as it can affect player experience, server performance, and potentially provide a vector for more sophisticated attacks if the server environment allows for additional exploitation. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects a spectator list functionality that is commonly used during matches, meaning that malicious users could intentionally trigger the denial of service condition during active gameplay sessions, disrupting competitive activities and potentially leading to server downtime.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate upgrading to version 1.21.0 or later, which incorporates the necessary code changes to properly validate the cleanName argument before processing. Security practitioners should also implement monitoring for unusual patterns in spectator list usage that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, given that this vulnerability affects an unsupported product, organizations should consider migrating to actively maintained alternatives or implementing network segmentation to limit potential impact. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a denial of service attack technique under T1499, specifically targeting network service availability. Organizations should also consider implementing input validation controls at the network level and monitoring for anomalous data patterns in plugin communications that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a denial of service issue means that proper incident response procedures should be established to handle potential service disruptions and ensure rapid recovery capabilities.