CVE-2018-20817 in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Summary
by MITRE
SV_SteamAuthClient in various Activision Infinity Ward Call of Duty games before 2015-08-11 is missing a size check when reading authBlob data into a buffer, which allows one to execute code on the remote target machine when sending a steam authentication request. This affects Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Call of Duty: Black Ops 1, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2023
The vulnerability CVE-2018-20817 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw in the Steam authentication client component of several Activision Infinity Ward Call of Duty titles released prior to August 11, 2015. This issue resides within the SV_SteamAuthClient functionality which handles Steam authentication requests during multiplayer sessions. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation where the system fails to verify the size of incoming authBlob data before copying it into a fixed-size buffer, creating a classic buffer overrun condition that can be exploited by remote attackers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a missing size check during the processing of Steam authentication responses within the game's networking stack. When a maliciously crafted authentication request is sent to a vulnerable game client, the system attempts to copy the authBlob data into a predetermined buffer without validating whether the incoming data exceeds the buffer's allocated size. This condition allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting program execution flow and enabling arbitrary code execution on the target system. The vulnerability affects multiple titles including Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3, Ghosts, Advanced Warfare, Black Ops 1, and Black Ops 2, indicating a widespread implementation flaw across the game's authentication infrastructure.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to multiplayer gaming environments as it allows remote code execution without requiring any local privileges or user interaction. Attackers can exploit this flaw by sending specially crafted Steam authentication packets to vulnerable game clients, potentially gaining complete control over the affected machine. The impact extends beyond individual gameplay disruption to encompass potential data breaches, system compromise, and the ability to use compromised systems as launch points for further attacks within networked gaming environments. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a significant concern for gaming platforms that rely on third-party authentication systems.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management in networked applications. Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including patching affected game versions, network segmentation to limit exposure, and monitoring for suspicious authentication traffic patterns. The flaw also highlights the necessity of adhering to secure coding practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Secure Coding Practices, specifically regarding buffer management and input validation. Organizations should consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to identify potential exploitation attempts and establish robust patch management procedures to ensure timely remediation of such vulnerabilities across gaming platforms and client software distributions.