CVE-2018-14737 in PBC
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in libpbc.a in cloudwu PBC through 2017-03-02. A NULL pointer dereference can occur in pbc_wmessage_string in wmessage.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-14737 represents a critical null pointer dereference flaw within the libpbc.a library, specifically affecting the cloudwu PBC implementation up to the date of March 2, 2017. This issue manifests within the pbc_wmessage_string function located in the wmessage.c source file, creating a potential avenue for denial of service attacks and system instability. The flaw arises from inadequate input validation and error handling mechanisms that fail to properly check for null pointer conditions before attempting memory dereferencing operations. Such vulnerabilities fall under the CWE-476 category of NULL Pointer Dereference, which is classified as a common weakness in software security practices and represents a fundamental error in memory management and input validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system crashes, as it can be exploited by malicious actors to disrupt service availability through carefully crafted input sequences that trigger the null pointer dereference condition. When the pbc_wmessage_string function processes malformed or unexpected input data, the absence of proper null checks leads to a segmentation fault or access violation that terminates the application process. This behavior aligns with the ATT&CK technique of process injection and denial of service, where adversaries leverage software weaknesses to compromise system availability. The vulnerability affects systems that rely on the libpbc.a library for processing protocol buffer messages, particularly in environments where untrusted data is processed without proper sanitization or validation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-14737 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected libpbc.a library to version containing the fix for the null pointer dereference issue. Organizations must implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms that check for null pointer conditions before any memory dereferencing operations occur, following secure coding practices recommended by the CERT/CC guidelines for preventing null pointer exceptions. Additionally, deploying defensive programming techniques such as explicit null checks and proper error handling within the pbc_wmessage_string function can prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. System administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious input data, while monitoring for unusual process termination patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The fix should include robust error handling that gracefully manages edge cases and malformed inputs without causing application crashes, aligning with the security principles outlined in the OWASP Secure Coding Practices and the ISO/IEC 27001 information security management framework.