CVE-2022-28066 in Libarchive
Summary
by MITRE • 05/04/2022
Libarchive v3.6.0 was discovered to contain a read memory access vulnerability via the function lzma_decode.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-28066 represents a critical memory access issue within the libarchive library version 3.6.0, specifically within the lzma_decode function. This flaw manifests as a read memory access vulnerability that can be exploited through improper handling of decompressed data during the LZMA compression algorithm processing. The libarchive library serves as a fundamental component for handling various archive formats including tar, zip, and others, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for systems that process untrusted archive files. The vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking and memory validation during the decompression process, creating opportunities for attackers to access memory locations that should remain protected or inaccessible.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the LZMA decompression routine where the lzma_decode function fails to properly validate input data before attempting to read from memory locations. This type of flaw falls under the category of buffer over-read conditions as defined by CWE-129, where the application reads data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions. The vulnerability can be triggered when processing specially crafted archive files that contain malformed LZMA compressed data, causing the decompression algorithm to access memory locations beyond the intended data buffer. This behavior can lead to information disclosure, application crashes, or potentially more severe consequences depending on the execution environment and memory layout.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risks to systems that rely on libarchive for processing user-uploaded or third-party archive files. The impact extends across various attack vectors including web applications, file processing services, and automated systems that handle archive extraction without proper input validation. The vulnerability can be exploited through multiple attack paths including email attachments, file upload portals, and automated archive processing pipelines, making it particularly dangerous in environments where untrusted data enters the system. The potential for information disclosure means that attackers could extract sensitive data from memory locations, while the possibility of application crashes could lead to denial of service conditions that disrupt legitimate operations.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to libarchive version 3.6.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the memory access validation issues. Additionally, implementing input validation and sanitization measures for all archive file processing, along with deploying intrusion detection systems that monitor for suspicious archive file patterns, can help reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1204.002 for valid accounts and T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers may leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access or execute malicious code through compromised archive processing systems. Security teams should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for archive processing and conducting regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar memory corruption issues that may exist in other compression libraries or similar components within their infrastructure.