CVE-2017-5337 in GnuTLS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple heap-based buffer overflows in the read_attribute function in GnuTLS before 3.3.26 and 3.5.x before 3.5.8 allow remote attackers to have unspecified impact via a crafted OpenPGP certificate.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/28/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5337 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow flaw within the GNU TLS library implementation. This security weakness affects versions prior to 3.3.26 and 3.5.x before 3.5.8, specifically manifesting in the read_attribute function responsible for processing OpenPGP certificates. The flaw arises from inadequate input validation and memory management when handling crafted certificate data, creating conditions where maliciously constructed OpenPGP certificates can trigger unauthorized memory access patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of memory corruption issues that can lead to arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-5337 extends across numerous systems and applications that rely on GNU TLS for secure communications, particularly those implementing OpenPGP certificate processing. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can potentially execute remote code on affected systems, leading to complete compromise of the targeted infrastructure. The unspecified impact mentioned in the CVE description reflects the potential for various malicious outcomes including privilege escalation, denial of service conditions, or data exfiltration. The remote attack vector means that adversaries need only send maliciously crafted OpenPGP certificates to vulnerable systems, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where certificate validation occurs automatically. The vulnerability's exploitation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to establish persistent access through code execution capabilities.
Systems utilizing GNU TLS versions affected by CVE-2017-5337 face significant risk exposure, particularly in environments where OpenPGP certificate validation is performed without proper input sanitization. The vulnerability affects not only direct GNU TLS implementations but also applications that depend on the library for cryptographic operations, including web servers, email clients, and secure communication platforms. Organizations running affected versions should prioritize immediate remediation to prevent potential exploitation by threat actors who may be actively targeting these weaknesses. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices and input validation in cryptographic libraries where malformed data can lead to system compromise. Mitigation strategies should include upgrading to patched versions of GNU TLS, implementing additional certificate validation layers, and monitoring for suspicious certificate processing activities. The security community has documented this vulnerability as a critical threat requiring immediate attention, with the affected versions representing a significant attack surface for adversaries seeking to exploit memory corruption vulnerabilities in widely deployed cryptographic software components.