CVE-2018-25423 in Arm Whois
Summary
by MITRE • 05/30/2026
Arm Whois 3.11 contains a buffer overflow vulnerability that allows local attackers to crash the application by supplying an oversized input string. Attackers can paste a malicious buffer of 700 bytes into the IP address or domain input field to trigger a denial of service condition.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2026
The Arm Whois 3.11 software presents a critical buffer overflow vulnerability that fundamentally compromises system stability and availability. This flaw exists within the application's input handling mechanisms, specifically when processing IP address or domain name queries through the user interface. The vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking during string processing operations, allowing attackers to exceed allocated memory buffers and overwrite adjacent memory segments. The precise threshold for triggering this condition is 700 bytes, which represents a carefully crafted malicious input designed to exploit the underlying memory management flaws in the software's architecture. This particular implementation vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions that occur when insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond the allocated buffer boundaries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application crashes, creating significant denial of service conditions that can disrupt legitimate user access to network information services. When attackers successfully exploit this buffer overflow, they can cause the Arm Whois application to terminate unexpectedly, potentially leading to extended service outages that affect network administrators and security professionals who rely on this tool for domain and IP address resolution. The local privilege requirement for exploitation suggests that attackers must already have access to the system to execute malicious payloads, but this limitation does not diminish the severity of the impact. The vulnerability represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation can lead to system instability and service disruption. Organizations utilizing this software face potential operational risks including reduced network visibility, delayed security investigations, and compromised network monitoring capabilities that rely on stable whois functionality.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate software updates from the vendor to address the buffer overflow condition through proper bounds checking and memory management improvements. System administrators should implement input validation measures at multiple layers including application-level filtering and network-based controls to prevent oversized inputs from reaching the vulnerable components. The implementation of address space layout randomization and stack canaries can provide additional protection against exploitation attempts, though these measures are secondary to proper code-level fixes. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual input patterns and application crash events that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit local system access where possible, reducing the attack surface for this specific vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a denial of service attack vector through application-level exploitation, emphasizing the need for robust input validation and memory safety practices. Regular vulnerability assessments and security code reviews should be implemented to identify similar buffer overflow conditions in other applications and prevent similar issues from emerging in the organization's broader software ecosystem.