CVE-2018-25266 in Angry IP Scanner
Summary
by MITRE • 04/22/2026
Angry IP Scanner 3.5.3 contains a buffer overflow vulnerability in the preferences dialog that allows local attackers to crash the application by supplying an excessively large string. Attackers can generate a file containing a massive buffer of repeated characters and paste it into the unavailable value field in the display preferences to trigger a denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2026
The Angry IP Scanner 3.5.3 buffer overflow vulnerability represents a critical local denial of service weakness that stems from inadequate input validation within the application's preferences dialog functionality. This vulnerability resides in the handling of user-supplied data when populating the unavailable value field within the display preferences section, where the software fails to properly enforce string length limitations or implement proper bounds checking mechanisms. The flaw manifests when an attacker crafts a malicious file containing an excessively large buffer of repeated characters and attempts to paste this data into the designated input field, causing the application to crash due to memory corruption.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with common buffer overflow patterns found in C/C++ applications where stack-based or heap-based overflows occur due to insufficient input sanitization. The specific context of the vulnerability is within the preferences dialog module where the application allocates fixed-size buffers to store user input without proper bounds verification. When the malicious input exceeds the allocated buffer size, it overflows into adjacent memory regions, corrupting the application's memory structure and ultimately leading to application termination. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, though it could also manifest as a heap-based overflow depending on the internal memory allocation strategy employed by the application's preference handling code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for local attackers who possess the ability to interact with the application's graphical user interface or can manipulate files that will be processed by the preferences dialog. While the vulnerability is classified as a local denial of service rather than a remote code execution flaw, it can severely disrupt legitimate user operations by causing the application to crash repeatedly. The vulnerability affects the availability of the Angry IP Scanner application, which is commonly used for network scanning and device discovery tasks, potentially disrupting network administrators' workflow when the application becomes unstable. The exploit requires minimal technical skill to execute, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through simple file manipulation or clipboard operations within the application's user interface.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and bounds checking mechanisms within the preferences dialog functionality. The most effective remediation involves adding explicit length checks to validate user input before processing, ensuring that strings do not exceed predetermined maximum lengths that are safely within the allocated buffer boundaries. Additionally, the application should implement proper memory management practices including the use of safe string handling functions that automatically prevent buffer overflows. Security patches should include input sanitization measures that truncate or reject excessively long input strings, while also implementing proper error handling that prevents the application from crashing when malformed input is encountered. Organizations should also consider implementing application sandboxing or privilege separation techniques to limit the impact of potential exploitation, though this vulnerability is inherently local in nature and does not provide a direct path for remote compromise. The remediation efforts should align with security best practices outlined in the software security development lifecycle and address the underlying architectural weakness that permits unbounded input processing within critical user interface components.