CVE-2018-5275 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 0x9C40E020.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-5275 resides within the Malwarebytes Premium 3.3.1.2183 security software, specifically within its kernel-mode driver component known as FARFLT.SYS. This driver operates at the highest privilege level within the Windows operating system, making it a critical component that requires robust input validation mechanisms to prevent exploitation. The flaw manifests through improper validation of input parameters supplied to the driver via IOCTL (Input/Output Control) interface with the specific control code 0x9C40E020, which represents a well-known pattern for device control operations in Windows kernel programming. The absence of proper input sanitization creates a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate driver behavior through crafted input values.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when local users submit malformed or unexpected input data to the IOCTL handler associated with the FARFLT.SYS driver. This particular IOCTL code corresponds to a specific function call within the driver's implementation, and the lack of input validation means that the driver does not properly check the legitimacy or bounds of the data it receives. When malicious input reaches the driver's processing logic, it can cause unpredictable behavior that ultimately results in system instability. The most immediate and observable consequence is the generation of a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), which represents a system-level crash that terminates all running processes and forces a system reboot. This type of denial of service attack effectively prevents legitimate system operation and can be particularly disruptive in enterprise environments where system uptime is critical.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of input ranges, and represents a classic example of a buffer over-read or invalid memory access condition. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it operates at the kernel level, where local users with minimal privileges can potentially cause system-wide disruptions. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation," although in this case the escalation is more focused on system stability rather than privilege elevation. The fact that this vulnerability affects a security product itself creates additional risk as it could potentially be exploited to bypass or disable security protections that the software is designed to provide. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service as the unspecified other impacts mentioned in the CVE description could include privilege escalation opportunities or data corruption scenarios that are not fully documented.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-5275 within enterprise environments is significant, particularly when considering that Malwarebytes Premium is widely deployed across organizations for endpoint protection. Local privilege escalation risks, even if limited to kernel-level crashes, can be leveraged by attackers to create persistent denial of service conditions that may be difficult to detect or remediate. The vulnerability demonstrates a critical flaw in the security product's architecture where the driver's input validation mechanisms were insufficient to handle potentially malicious data. Organizations using this version of Malwarebytes should consider immediate patching strategies, as the vulnerability exists in the driver's control flow logic where it fails to validate the size, type, or content of data structures passed through the IOCTL interface. The risk assessment should include consideration of whether the affected system is running in a production environment where such disruptions could impact business operations, and whether the system has adequate backup or recovery procedures in place to handle potential BSOD scenarios that could occur due to this vulnerability.