CVE-2022-40922 in LIEF
Summary
by MITRE • 10/03/2022
A vulnerability in the LIEF::MachO::BinaryParser::init_and_parse function of LIEF v0.12.1 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (DOS) through a segmentation fault via a crafted MachO file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-40922 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the LIEF library version 0.12.1, specifically affecting the MachO binary parsing functionality. This issue manifests through the LIEF::MachO::BinaryParser::init_and_parse function which processes MachO formatted files commonly used in macOS and iOS operating systems. The flaw occurs when the library attempts to parse maliciously crafted MachO files that contain malformed or unexpected data structures, leading to a segmentation fault that terminates the application process.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input validation and error handling within the MachO parsing component of the LIEF library. When the init_and_parse function encounters malformed MachO file structures, particularly those containing invalid offsets, corrupted headers, or unexpected section layouts, the parsing logic fails to properly handle these edge cases. This lack of robust error handling causes the application to attempt memory accesses at invalid addresses, resulting in segmentation faults that crash the entire process. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read errors, and CWE-248, which covers uncaught exceptions that lead to application termination.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that rely on LIEF for binary analysis, particularly in security tools, malware analysis platforms, and automated processing systems. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially designed MachO files that trigger the segmentation fault when processed by any application utilizing the vulnerable LIEF version. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as it can be leveraged in broader attack chains where adversaries seek to compromise security analysis tools or disrupt automated workflows. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers scripting through command and control channels, as the DoS condition can be used to disrupt automated analysis systems.
Organizations utilizing LIEF for MachO file processing should prioritize immediate mitigation through version updates to LIEF 0.13.0 or later, which includes comprehensive fixes for this and related parsing vulnerabilities. Additional defensive measures include implementing proper input validation for all binary files processed through LIEF, deploying sandboxing techniques to isolate vulnerable applications, and establishing robust monitoring for segmentation fault occurrences. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security libraries and conducting regular vulnerability assessments of third-party components. Security teams should consider implementing automated patch management processes to ensure rapid deployment of security updates and maintain comprehensive logging of binary analysis activities to detect potential exploitation attempts.