CVE-2020-35871 in rusqlite Crate
Summary
by MITRE • 12/31/2020
An issue was discovered in the rusqlite crate before 0.23.0 for Rust. Memory safety can be violated via an Auxdata API data race.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/31/2020
The vulnerability identified in the rusqlite crate prior to version 0.23.0 represents a critical memory safety issue that manifests through the Auxdata API implementation. This flaw specifically exploits a data race condition within the crate's auxiliary data handling mechanisms, creating potential for memory corruption and undefined behavior in applications utilizing this database library. The Auxdata API is designed to allow users to attach custom data to SQLite statements and functions, providing extensibility for advanced database operations. However, the implementation contained race conditions that could be exploited by concurrent access patterns, potentially leading to memory unsafety violations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper synchronization mechanisms within the crate's internal data structures when handling auxiliary data objects. When multiple threads attempt to access or modify auxdata simultaneously, the lack of proper locking or atomic operations creates opportunities for data races that can corrupt memory layout and compromise application stability. This type of memory safety violation falls under the broader category of concurrency issues that are particularly dangerous in systems where database operations are frequently performed concurrently. The vulnerability is classified as a data race according to common software quality standards, representing a failure in proper thread synchronization mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption to potentially enable more serious security consequences in applications that rely on rusqlite for database operations. Applications using the affected version could experience crashes, data integrity issues, or even arbitrary code execution if attackers can manipulate concurrent access patterns to trigger the race condition. This risk is particularly significant in multi-threaded environments where database connections and statement processing occur simultaneously, as the timing of thread scheduling can determine whether the race condition manifests. The vulnerability affects any application that utilizes the Auxdata API functionality, making it a widespread concern across systems using this popular rust database crate.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate upgrading to rusqlite version 0.23.0 or later, which includes proper synchronization fixes for the Auxdata API implementation. Organizations should conduct thorough testing of their applications after applying the update to ensure no regressions in functionality, particularly around database operations that utilize auxiliary data features. System administrators and developers should also review their application code to identify any reliance on potentially affected auxdata usage patterns, implementing additional defensive programming practices such as proper connection pooling and thread management. The fix addresses the underlying concurrency issues through appropriate locking mechanisms that prevent simultaneous access to shared auxdata structures, aligning with established best practices for concurrent programming in systems programming languages like rust. This vulnerability highlights the importance of careful synchronization in database library implementations and demonstrates how seemingly minor concurrency flaws can have significant security implications.
Reference to industry standards shows this vulnerability maps to CWE-362, which specifically addresses race conditions in software implementations. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this under privilege escalation or denial of service techniques that exploit memory safety vulnerabilities in system libraries. The issue also relates to CWE-119, memory corruption issues, and CWE-121, stack-based buffer overflow, as the data race can lead to memory layout corruption that manifests through various memory safety violations. Proper software development practices including code review, static analysis, and comprehensive testing of concurrent code paths are essential for preventing similar vulnerabilities in database and systems programming contexts.