CVE-2018-20586 in bitcoind
Summary
by MITRE
bitcoind and Bitcoin-Qt prior to 0.17.1 allow injection of arbitrary data into the debug log via an RPC call.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-20586 affects bitcoind and Bitcoin-Qt software versions prior to 0171 exposing a critical security flaw in the handling of remote procedure calls. This issue enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary data into the debug log through RPC commands, creating a potential vector for information disclosure and system manipulation. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the RPC processing framework, allowing unauthenticated or authenticated users to craft malicious payloads that get logged without proper filtering.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the RPC subsystem where user-provided parameters are directly incorporated into debug log entries without adequate sanitization. When RPC calls are processed, the software fails to properly escape or validate special characters and control sequences that could alter the log format or inject malicious content. This flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited through various RPC methods that accept user input, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered by both local and remote attackers. The CWE-770 standard categorizes this as an allocation of resources without limits or throttling, while the ATT&CK framework would classify this under T1059.001 for command and script injection techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple log manipulation, as it can enable attackers to craft log entries that may confuse system administrators during troubleshooting or forensic analysis. Malicious data injection could potentially be used to hide other malicious activities within legitimate-looking log entries, making detection more difficult. Additionally, the debug logs often contain sensitive information about system operations and user activities, so injecting arbitrary data could lead to information disclosure. The vulnerability affects the integrity of system logging mechanisms and can compromise the reliability of audit trails that are crucial for security monitoring and incident response operations.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and sanitization for all RPC parameters before they are processed or logged. System administrators should immediately upgrade to Bitcoin Core version 0.17.1 or later, which includes proper sanitization of RPC inputs. Additional protective measures include implementing strict access controls for RPC interfaces, monitoring log files for unusual patterns, and configuring proper log rotation and backup procedures. The fix typically involves modifying the RPC processing code to escape special characters and validate input parameters against expected formats, ensuring that only legitimate data is written to debug logs while maintaining system functionality and security posture.