CVE-2019-16144 in Generator Crate
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in the generator crate before 0.6.18 for Rust. Uninitialized memory is used by Scope, done, and yield_ during API calls.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-16144 resides within the generator crate version 0.6.18 and earlier of the rust programming language ecosystem. This issue represents a critical memory safety concern that affects the proper initialization of memory regions during specific API calls. The flaw manifests in the Scope, done, and yield_ functions where uninitialized memory segments are being accessed or utilized, creating potential security risks that could be exploited by malicious actors.
This vulnerability falls under the category of uninitialized memory access, which is classified as CWE-457 in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The technical implementation flaw occurs when these specific functions within the generator crate attempt to operate on memory regions that have not been properly initialized with defined values. The Scope function handles scoping contexts within generator functions, while done and yield_ manage the completion and yielding behaviors respectively. When these functions execute, they may inadvertently reference memory locations that contain garbage data from previous operations, leading to unpredictable behavior.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple program instability, as it creates potential attack vectors that could be leveraged for information disclosure or arbitrary code execution. An attacker could potentially exploit this weakness by crafting specific inputs that cause the generator functions to access uninitialized memory, which might contain sensitive data from other parts of the application or operating system. The uninitialized memory could contain remnants of cryptographic keys, passwords, or other confidential information that was previously stored in those memory locations, making this a significant concern for applications handling sensitive data.
The risk assessment of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, as it could enable attackers to manipulate program execution flow through memory corruption. Additionally, it relates to T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, since uninitialized memory access can potentially lead to privilege escalation scenarios. The vulnerability particularly affects Rust applications that utilize the generator crate for asynchronous programming or coroutine implementations, making it relevant to web applications, system utilities, and any software that depends on generator-based execution models.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-16144 require immediate patching of the generator crate to version 0.6.18 or later where the uninitialized memory access has been corrected. Organizations should implement comprehensive code review processes to identify other potential instances of uninitialized memory usage within their Rust applications. The fix typically involves ensuring that all memory regions are properly initialized before being accessed, either through explicit initialization or by using safe Rust patterns that prevent uninitialized memory access. Security teams should also consider implementing memory safety testing procedures and static analysis tools that can detect similar uninitialized memory patterns in other codebases. Regular dependency updates and vulnerability scanning should be maintained to prevent similar issues from emerging in other crates within the Rust ecosystem.