CVE-2018-6777 in Jiangmin
Summary
by MITRE
In Jiangmin Antivirus 16.0.0.100, the driver file (KVFG.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 0x220400.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6777 resides within Jiangmin Antivirus version 16.0.0.100 and specifically targets the kernel-mode driver component known as KVFG.sys. This driver operates at the highest privilege level within the Windows operating system, making it a critical component for system security. The flaw manifests through improper input validation mechanisms within the driver's implementation of IOCTL 0x220400, which represents a specific control code used for communication between user-mode applications and kernel-mode drivers. The absence of proper validation allows malicious or malformed input data to be processed without adequate sanitization, creating a potential attack vector that can be exploited by local users who have access to the system. This vulnerability type falls under the category of improper input validation as classified by CWE-20, which represents one of the most fundamental and frequently exploited weaknesses in software security implementations. The security implications extend beyond simple denial of service, as the vulnerability may potentially enable more severe consequences including privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution depending on the specific nature of the input validation failure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for systems running the affected Jiangmin antivirus version, as local users who can submit crafted IOCTL requests to the vulnerable driver can trigger a blue screen of death (BSOD) resulting in system crashes and complete denial of service. The instability caused by this vulnerability can severely disrupt business operations, particularly in enterprise environments where system uptime is critical for maintaining productivity and service availability. The vulnerability's potential for unspecified other impacts suggests that beyond the immediate BSOD condition, attackers may be able to leverage this flaw to gain additional system access or manipulate driver behavior in unexpected ways. From an attack perspective, this represents a local privilege escalation vector that requires minimal privileges to exploit, as the attacker only needs to be able to execute code on the target system and submit malicious IOCTL requests to the vulnerable driver. The attack surface is particularly concerning because antivirus drivers typically operate with elevated privileges and have extensive access to system resources, making them attractive targets for exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate remediation through official patches provided by Jiangmin, as the vendor has likely released updates addressing this specific input validation issue. System administrators should prioritize applying these patches across all affected systems and monitor for any signs of exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing runtime protection measures such as driver signature enforcement, kernel-mode exploit protection, and application whitelisting can provide additional defense-in-depth layers. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper kernel-mode input validation and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of driver components, particularly those handling IOCTL communications. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect abnormal IOCTL activity patterns or attempts to submit malformed input to driver interfaces. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability may impact security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 controls related to system integrity and access control, while the exploitation techniques align with ATT&CK tactics including privilege escalation and defense evasion through kernel-mode manipulation. The incident underscores the critical need for maintaining up-to-date security software and the importance of thorough security reviews for all kernel-mode components within security solutions.