CVE-2018-5957 in Zillya!
Summary
by MITRE
In Zillya! Antivirus 3.0.2230.0, the driver file (zef.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 0x9C40242C.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-5957 affects Zillya! Antivirus version 3.0.2230.0 and represents a critical security flaw within the antivirus driver component. This issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the zef.sys driver file, which serves as the core component for system-level protection and monitoring. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the driver processes IOCTL (Input/Output Control) requests with the identifier 0x9C40242C, which is a proprietary control code used by the antivirus software for communication between user-space applications and kernel-space driver components.
The technical flaw resides in the driver's failure to properly validate input parameters received through the specified IOCTL interface. This validation gap creates a condition where malicious or malformed input data can be passed directly to kernel-mode code without proper sanitization or bounds checking. When such unvalidated input reaches the driver's processing routines, it can trigger unpredictable behavior within the operating system kernel, leading to system instability and potential system crashes. The vulnerability is classified as a local privilege escalation vector since it requires local system access to exploit, but the impact can be severe enough to cause system-wide denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system crashes, as it can potentially enable attackers to execute arbitrary code within kernel space or cause system-wide instability that affects the entire operating environment. The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) condition represents the most immediate and visible consequence, where the operating system terminates abnormally and displays error messages to users. However, the unspecified other impacts mentioned in the description suggest that the vulnerability could potentially be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks, including privilege escalation or data corruption scenarios. This type of vulnerability directly relates to CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input boundaries, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation through kernel exploits.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the affected antivirus software to the latest version that contains proper input validation mechanisms. System administrators should also implement monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts through unusual IOCTL activity patterns. Additional protective measures include disabling unnecessary driver interfaces, implementing kernel-mode protection mechanisms, and maintaining comprehensive system monitoring to detect unauthorized driver modifications. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in kernel-mode drivers and highlights the need for thorough security testing of system-level components that interact with user-space applications through IOCTL interfaces. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege controls and regular security assessments to identify similar validation gaps in other security software components that might pose similar risks to system stability and security.