CVE-2018-25426 in WinMTR
Summary
by MITRE • 05/30/2026
WinMTR 0.91 contains a denial of service vulnerability that allows attackers to crash the application by sending a malformed payload file containing a large buffer of repeated characters. Attackers can create a specially crafted input file with 238 bytes of data to trigger a buffer overflow condition that causes the application to crash.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2026
WinMTR 0.91 suffers from a critical buffer overflow vulnerability that manifests through improper input validation mechanisms within the application's file processing functionality. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 buffer overflow category, where the application fails to properly bounds-check input data before processing it, allowing maliciously crafted payloads to exceed allocated memory buffers. The specific trigger involves sending a malformed payload file containing a large buffer of repeated characters, with attackers able to exploit this weakness using only 238 bytes of carefully constructed data. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where file input is parsed without adequate sanitization, creating an exploitable condition that directly impacts the program's memory management. This type of vulnerability represents a classic example of insufficient input validation as outlined in the CWE taxonomy, where the application does not properly verify the size or content of incoming data before attempting to process it. The operational impact of this denial of service condition is significant as it allows remote attackers to completely disrupt the application's functionality without requiring any privileged access or complex exploitation techniques. The vulnerability can be classified under the ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which involves network denial of service attacks through application layer exploitation. When exploited, this vulnerability causes the WinMTR application to crash and terminate unexpectedly, rendering network diagnostic capabilities unavailable to legitimate users who may be relying on the tool for network troubleshooting. The minimal payload size requirement of 238 bytes makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be easily implemented by attackers with basic technical knowledge, requiring no sophisticated tools or extensive preparation. The vulnerability exists due to inadequate defensive programming practices where the application fails to implement proper input length checks or memory allocation boundaries during file parsing operations. This weakness creates a predictable crash condition that can be reliably reproduced by sending the specific malformed input file, making it a high-value target for attackers seeking to disrupt network monitoring operations. The lack of proper error handling and memory protection mechanisms within WinMTR 0.91's input processing pipeline allows the buffer overflow to propagate beyond intended boundaries, causing the application to terminate abruptly. Organizations using this version of WinMTR should immediately implement mitigations including input validation restrictions, application sandboxing, and network segmentation to prevent exploitation. The vulnerability represents a fundamental flaw in the software's defensive design and highlights the importance of implementing robust input validation and memory safety practices as recommended by industry security frameworks. Remediation efforts should focus on updating to patched versions of WinMTR, implementing proper bounds checking mechanisms, and establishing monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to identify and block malicious payload delivery attempts targeting this specific vulnerability. The incident underscores the critical need for regular software updates and vulnerability assessments to maintain operational security posture against known weaknesses in network diagnostic tools.