CVE-2023-34366 in Ichitaro
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
A use-after-free vulnerability exists in the Figure stream parsing functionality of Ichitaro 2023 1.0.1.59372. A specially crafted document can cause memory corruption, resulting in arbitrary code execution. Victim would need to open a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-34366 represents a critical use-after-free condition within the Figure stream parsing component of Ichitaro 2023 version 1.0.1.59372. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-416, which specifically addresses the use of freed memory references. The flaw manifests when the application processes Figure stream data structures, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory contents through carefully crafted malicious documents. The vulnerability exists in the document parsing engine that handles complex multimedia elements within the Ichitaro office suite, making it particularly dangerous as users commonly open various document types containing embedded graphics and figures.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft a malicious document that triggers the Figure stream parsing functionality in a specific manner. When the vulnerable application attempts to process this crafted document, it frees memory associated with Figure stream objects while still maintaining references to them. This creates a scenario where subsequent memory operations can overwrite the freed memory space with attacker-controlled data, ultimately leading to arbitrary code execution. The attack vector is limited to user interaction through document opening, which aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1203 for legitimate user interaction and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage. The memory corruption occurs during the parsing phase, making it difficult to detect through traditional runtime protections.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation or code execution, as it represents a complete compromise of the affected system. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains the ability to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running Ichitaro, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability affects users who regularly open office documents, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where document sharing is common. Organizations using Ichitaro 2023 are at risk of targeted attacks through spear-phishing campaigns that deliver malicious documents designed to exploit this specific flaw. The vulnerability's exploitation requires no special privileges beyond the ability to create or distribute malicious documents, making it accessible to a wide range of threat actors from script kiddies to sophisticated nation-state groups.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-34366 should focus on immediate patch deployment from the vendor, as this represents a critical security flaw requiring urgent attention. Organizations should implement strict document filtering policies that prevent opening of untrusted documents, particularly those containing embedded multimedia elements. Network-based protections such as email filtering and web proxies should be configured to block potentially malicious documents before they reach end users. The use of application whitelisting can help prevent execution of the vulnerable Ichitaro version while patches are being deployed. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of opening unknown documents and the importance of keeping software updated. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual memory access patterns or unexpected code execution that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques for document processing to isolate potentially malicious content from the primary system environment. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices and the need for comprehensive input validation in document processing applications.