CVE-2018-5274 in Anti-Malware
Summary
by MITRE
In Malwarebytes Premium 3.3.1.2183, the driver file (FARFLT.SYS) allows local users to cause a denial of service (BSOD) or possibly have unspecified other impact because of not validating input values from IOCtl 0x9C40E024.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-5274 resides within the Malwarebytes Premium 3.3.1.2183 software suite, specifically within the kernel-mode driver component designated as FARFLT.SYS. This driver serves as a critical system interface for the malware protection software, handling various system-level operations through Windows I/O control codes. The flaw manifests when the driver fails to properly validate input parameters received through IOCTL 0x9C40E024, a specific communication mechanism used to interact with kernel-mode drivers in Windows operating systems. This lack of input validation creates a dangerous condition where malicious or unintended input can cause the driver to behave unpredictably, leading to system instability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within the realm of improper input validation, which is categorized under CWE-20 in the Common Weakness Enumeration system. When a local user submits crafted input to the IOCTL 0x9C40E024 interface, the driver processes these parameters without adequate sanitization or verification, creating opportunities for buffer overflows, memory corruption, or other exploitable conditions. The resulting system crash manifests as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), effectively causing a denial of service condition that renders the affected system unusable until reboot. This vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the driver's security architecture where privilege separation and input sanitization mechanisms are insufficiently implemented.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to system availability and stability, particularly in enterprise environments where Malwarebytes Premium is widely deployed. The local privilege requirement means that an attacker must already have access to the system to exploit this vulnerability, but the potential impact remains severe given that the exploitation can cause complete system crashes. The unspecified other impacts mentioned in the original description suggest that beyond simple denial of service, this vulnerability could potentially enable privilege escalation or other malicious activities, though this has not been definitively confirmed. The vulnerability affects systems running Windows operating systems where the Malwarebytes driver is installed and active, potentially impacting thousands of endpoints across various organizations.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-5274 should focus on immediate software updates from Malwarebytes, as the vendor would have released patches addressing the input validation issues in subsequent versions. System administrators should implement strict access controls to limit local user privileges and monitor for unusual driver activity or BSOD events that could indicate exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and endpoint detection systems can help identify potential exploitation attempts by monitoring for unusual I/O control activities targeting kernel-mode drivers. Additionally, the vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers local privilege escalation and system modification through kernel-mode components. Organizations should also consider implementing behavioral monitoring to detect anomalous driver interactions and ensure that only trusted drivers are loaded into the system kernel. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of proper input validation in kernel-mode software and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of device drivers before deployment in production environments.