CVE-2024-26333 in swftools
Summary
by MITRE • 03/05/2024
swftools v0.9.2 was discovered to contain a segmentation violation via the function free_lines at swftools/lib/modules/swfshape.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-26333 affects swftools version 0.9.2 and represents a critical memory management flaw that can lead to system instability and potential exploitation. This issue manifests as a segmentation violation within the free_lines function located in the swftools/lib/modules/swfshape.c source file, indicating a fundamental problem with how the software handles memory deallocation operations. The vulnerability specifically occurs when the application attempts to free memory resources that may have already been deallocated or are improperly referenced, creating a scenario where the program's memory management mechanisms fail catastrophically.
The technical nature of this flaw places it squarely within CWE-415, which addresses double free conditions in software applications, and potentially CWE-416, which covers use after free vulnerabilities. When the free_lines function processes shape data structures within swf files, it appears to attempt to release memory that has either already been freed or is not properly allocated, resulting in a segmentation fault that terminates the application process. This type of memory corruption vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited by malicious actors to cause denial of service attacks or potentially achieve arbitrary code execution if proper memory safeguards are not in place.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that process or generate swf files using the affected swftools version. The segmentation violation can occur during normal operation when processing malformed or specially crafted swf content, making it a reliable vector for system disruption. Attackers could potentially exploit this by submitting malicious swf files that trigger the vulnerable code path, leading to application crashes that could be leveraged for denial of service attacks against web applications or content management systems that rely on swftools for swf processing. The impact extends beyond simple crashes as such vulnerabilities often indicate deeper memory management issues that could be chained with other exploits.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate upgrading to a patched version of swftools where the memory management in the free_lines function has been properly addressed. Organizations should also implement input validation measures to filter or reject suspicious swf content before processing, particularly when dealing with untrusted user uploads. Additionally, deploying runtime protections such as address space layout randomization and stack canaries can help mitigate potential exploitation attempts. System administrators should monitor for any signs of exploitation attempts and maintain comprehensive logging of swf processing activities to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate attempted exploitation of this vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1499 which covers network infiltration techniques, and T1059 which addresses command and control communications, as exploitation could potentially lead to more sophisticated attacks if not properly contained.