CVE-2017-7441 in SurfRight HitmanPro
Summary
by MITRE
In Sophos SurfRight HitmanPro before 3.7.20 Build 286 (included in the HitmanPro.Alert solution and Sophos Clean), a crafted IOCTL with code 0x22E1C0 might lead to kernel data leaks. Because the leak occurs at the driver level, an attacker can use this vulnerability to leak some critical information about the machine such as nt!ExpPoolQuotaCookie.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7441 represents a critical kernel-level information disclosure flaw within Sophos SurfRight HitmanPro software versions prior to 3.7.20 Build 286. This vulnerability exists within the driver component of the HitmanPro.Alert solution and Sophos Clean products, specifically manifesting through improper handling of a crafted IOCTL (Input/Output Control) command with the code 0x22E1C0. The flaw resides in the kernel-mode driver interface where insufficient validation and sanitization of input parameters allows for unauthorized data extraction from kernel memory spaces. The vulnerability operates at the core level of system security, making it particularly dangerous as it bypasses normal user-mode security boundaries and directly accesses protected kernel structures.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a specific IOCTL request with the designated code 0x22E1C0, which triggers a data leak from kernel memory regions. This particular IOCTL code represents a malformed or improperly validated command that the vulnerable driver fails to properly process, resulting in the exposure of sensitive kernel data structures. The leaked information includes critical elements such as nt!ExpPoolQuotaCookie, which serves as a security mechanism within the windows kernel for tracking memory pool allocations and can be used by attackers to bypass kernel address space layout randomization (ASLR) protections. This type of information disclosure directly violates security principles and provides attackers with valuable insights into the system's internal memory management and security mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of systems running affected versions of Sophos software. The leaked kernel data can be leveraged by threat actors to perform advanced exploitation techniques, including bypassing kernel security features, crafting more sophisticated attacks, and potentially enabling privilege escalation exploits. The vulnerability's location within the driver layer makes it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by unprivileged users to gain access to kernel-level information that should remain protected. This creates a significant risk for enterprise environments where Sophos products are deployed, as the information leakage could enable attackers to understand system internals and develop targeted attacks against the affected systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7441 primarily involve updating to Sophos SurfRight HitmanPro version 3.7.20 Build 286 or later, which includes proper input validation and sanitization for IOCTL commands. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit potential exploitation vectors, while monitoring for suspicious IOCTL activity in system logs. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Disclosure) and represents a classic example of improper input validation in kernel drivers, which falls under ATT&CK technique T1056.001 (Input Injection) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation). Security teams should also consider implementing kernel memory protection mechanisms and regularly auditing driver installations to ensure only legitimate software is running with kernel-level privileges. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper kernel driver security practices and input validation, as even a single flaw in driver code can provide attackers with extensive information about system internals and potentially enable more severe exploitation techniques.