CVE-2018-7051 in irssi
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Irssi before 1.0.7 and 1.1.x before 1.1.1. Certain nick names could result in out-of-bounds access when printing theme strings.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7051 represents a critical out-of-bounds memory access flaw within the Irssi IRC client software. This issue affects versions prior to 1.0.7 and 1.1.x versions before 1.1.1, creating a potential avenue for remote code execution or denial of service attacks. The flaw specifically manifests when processing certain nickname strings during theme string printing operations, indicating a buffer management weakness in the client's string handling mechanisms.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and bounds checking within Irssi's theme rendering subsystem. When the client encounters specially crafted nicknames that trigger specific character sequences or lengths, the application fails to properly validate the boundaries of memory allocations used for theme string processing. This allows attackers to manipulate the memory layout and potentially execute arbitrary code or cause the application to crash. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, though it manifests as an out-of-bounds access rather than a traditional stack overflow scenario. The flaw demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where the application does not adequately sanitize user-provided data before processing it in memory-sensitive contexts.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-7051 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable remote code execution in vulnerable configurations. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability by sending malicious nicknames in IRC channels or private messages, causing the target client to access memory outside of allocated bounds. This could result in application crashes, data corruption, or in more sophisticated attack scenarios, arbitrary code execution on the victim's system. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where users frequently interact with untrusted IRC networks or where Irssi is used in automated or server contexts. The attack surface is broad as IRC clients are commonly used in both personal and enterprise environments, making this a significant security risk for organizations relying on IRC communication tools.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-7051 focus primarily on immediate version upgrades to Irssi 1.0.7 or 1.1.1 and later releases where the vulnerability has been patched. System administrators should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all instances of Irssi are updated across network environments. Additional defensive measures include implementing network-level filtering to sanitize IRC traffic, particularly around nickname and message content, and deploying intrusion detection systems that monitor for suspicious IRC traffic patterns. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of untrusted IRC clients and establish security awareness training for users who interact with IRC networks. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and memory safety practices in client-side applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage and T1203 for exploitation for privilege escalation. Regular security assessments of IRC client configurations and network monitoring for unusual client behavior should be implemented as part of comprehensive security operations to detect potential exploitation attempts.