CVE-2018-16722 in Jingyun
Summary
by MITRE • 11/24/2020
In Jingyun Antivirus v2.4.2.39, the driver file (ZySandbox.sys) allows local users to cause a denial of service (BSOD) or possibly have unspecified other impact because of not validating input values from IOCtl 0x12360094, a related issue to CVE-2018-16305.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/10/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-16722 resides within the Jingyun Antivirus software version 2.4.2.39, specifically within its kernel-mode driver component known as ZySandbox.sys. This driver operates at the highest privilege level within the Windows operating system, making it a critical attack surface that requires robust input validation mechanisms. The flaw manifests through improper handling of input parameters received via IOCTL (Input/Output Control) command 0x12360094, which represents a direct interface between user-mode applications and kernel-mode driver components. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it demonstrates a failure in the driver's security architecture to validate data integrity before processing potentially malicious or malformed inputs.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper input validation within the driver's IOCTL handling routine. When a local user application sends a crafted IOCTL request with command code 0x12360094 to the ZySandbox.sys driver, the driver fails to validate the incoming parameters before utilizing them in subsequent operations. This lack of validation creates a condition where malformed or unexpected input values can cause the driver to execute unintended code paths, ultimately leading to system instability. The vulnerability is classified as a buffer overflow or memory corruption issue, as the driver's failure to validate input parameters can result in arbitrary memory access violations that trigger a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) during system operation. The relationship to CVE-2018-16305 indicates a pattern of similar validation failures within the same software family, suggesting a systemic design flaw in how the antivirus suite handles privileged driver interfaces.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to system availability and stability, particularly in enterprise environments where antivirus software is deployed across numerous endpoints. Local users can exploit this weakness to induce system crashes, resulting in denial of service conditions that disrupt normal business operations. The potential for unspecified other impacts suggests that beyond simple system crashes, the vulnerability may enable privilege escalation or information disclosure scenarios, although the exact scope remains undetermined. The local privilege requirement means that exploitation does not require network access, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be triggered by any user with access to the system, including unprivileged accounts. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which describes local privilege escalation methods, and CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities that can lead to system instability.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability involves immediate software updates from the vendor to address the input validation deficiencies within the ZySandbox.sys driver. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems, particularly those running the specific version 2.4.2.39 of Jingyun Antivirus, as the vulnerability directly impacts system stability and can be exploited to cause significant operational disruptions. System administrators should also implement monitoring for unusual IOCTL activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, using tools such as Windows Event Viewer to track driver interactions. Additionally, the principle of least privilege should be enforced to minimize the potential impact of local exploitation, ensuring that user accounts have minimal system access rights. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper kernel-mode driver security practices and the necessity of comprehensive input validation, which are fundamental requirements outlined in security standards such as the Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle and NIST SP 800-144. Organizations should also consider implementing endpoint detection and response solutions that can identify anomalous driver behavior and prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in other security software components.