Vulnerabilities > CVE-2012-4426 - USE of Externally-Controlled Format String vulnerability in Mcrypt

047910
CVSS 6.8 - MEDIUM
Attack vector
NETWORK
Attack complexity
MEDIUM
Privileges required
NONE
Confidentiality impact
PARTIAL
Integrity impact
PARTIAL
Availability impact
PARTIAL
network
mcrypt
CWE-134
nessus

Summary

Multiple format string vulnerabilities in mcrypt 2.6.8 and earlier might allow user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via vectors involving (1) errors.c or (2) mcrypt.c.

Vulnerable Configurations

Part Description Count
Application
Mcrypt
5

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

  • Format String Injection
    An attacker includes formatting characters in a string input field on the target application. Most applications assume that users will provide static text and may respond unpredictably to the presence of formatting character. For example, in certain functions of the C programming languages such as printf, the formatting character %s will print the contents of a memory location expecting this location to identify a string and the formatting character %n prints the number of DWORD written in the memory. An attacker can use this to read or write to memory locations or files, or simply to manipulate the value of the resulting text in unexpected ways. Reading or writing memory may result in program crashes and writing memory could result in the execution of arbitrary code if the attacker can write to the program stack.
  • String Format Overflow in syslog()
    This attack targets the format string vulnerabilities in the syslog() function. An attacker would typically inject malicious input in the format string parameter of the syslog function. This is a common problem, and many public vulnerabilities and associated exploits have been posted.

Nessus

NASL familyGentoo Local Security Checks
NASL idGENTOO_GLSA-201405-19.NASL
descriptionThe remote host is affected by the vulnerability described in GLSA-201405-19 (MCrypt: User-assisted execution of arbitrary code) Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in MCrypt: A boundary error in MCrypt could cause a stack-based buffer overflow (CVE-2012-4409). MCrypt contains multiple format string errors (CVE-2012-4426). MCrypt does not properly handle long file names, which could cause a stack-based buffer overflow (CVE-2012-4527). Impact : A remote attacker could entice a user to open a specially crafted file using MCrypt, possibly resulting in execution of arbitrary code with the privileges of the process or a Denial of Service condition. Workaround : There is no known workaround at this time.
last seen2020-06-01
modified2020-06-02
plugin id74061
published2014-05-19
reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2014-2018 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/74061
titleGLSA-201405-19 : MCrypt: User-assisted execution of arbitrary code
code
#
# (C) Tenable Network Security, Inc.
#
# The descriptive text and package checks in this plugin were
# extracted from Gentoo Linux Security Advisory GLSA 201405-19.
#
# The advisory text is Copyright (C) 2001-2015 Gentoo Foundation, Inc.
# and licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution / Share Alike 
# license. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#

include("compat.inc");

if (description)
{
  script_id(74061);
  script_version("1.4");
  script_cvs_date("Date: 2018/12/05 20:31:22");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2012-4409", "CVE-2012-4426", "CVE-2012-4527");
  script_bugtraq_id(55425, 55557, 56114);
  script_xref(name:"GLSA", value:"201405-19");

  script_name(english:"GLSA-201405-19 : MCrypt: User-assisted execution of arbitrary code");
  script_summary(english:"Checks for updated package(s) in /var/db/pkg");

  script_set_attribute(
    attribute:"synopsis", 
    value:
"The remote Gentoo host is missing one or more security-related
patches."
  );
  script_set_attribute(
    attribute:"description", 
    value:
"The remote host is affected by the vulnerability described in GLSA-201405-19
(MCrypt: User-assisted execution of arbitrary code)

    Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in MCrypt:
      A boundary error in MCrypt could cause a stack-based buffer overflow
        (CVE-2012-4409).
      MCrypt contains multiple format string errors (CVE-2012-4426).
      MCrypt does not properly handle long file names, which could cause a
        stack-based buffer overflow (CVE-2012-4527).
  
Impact :

    A remote attacker could entice a user to open a specially crafted file
      using MCrypt, possibly resulting in execution of arbitrary code with the
      privileges of the process or a Denial of Service condition.
  
Workaround :

    There is no known workaround at this time."
  );
  script_set_attribute(
    attribute:"see_also",
    value:"https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201405-19"
  );
  script_set_attribute(
    attribute:"solution", 
    value:
"All MCrypt users should upgrade to the latest version:
      # emerge --sync
      # emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose '>=app-crypt/mcrypt-2.6.8-r2'"
  );
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:POC/RL:OF/RC:ND");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"Exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:gentoo:linux:mcrypt");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:gentoo:linux");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"patch_publication_date", value:"2014/05/18");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2014/05/19");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2014-2018 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");
  script_family(english:"Gentoo Local Security Checks");

  script_dependencies("ssh_get_info.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/local_checks_enabled", "Host/Gentoo/release", "Host/Gentoo/qpkg-list");

  exit(0);
}


include("audit.inc");
include("global_settings.inc");
include("qpkg.inc");

if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (!get_kb_item("Host/Gentoo/release")) audit(AUDIT_OS_NOT, "Gentoo");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/Gentoo/qpkg-list")) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);


flag = 0;

if (qpkg_check(package:"app-crypt/mcrypt", unaffected:make_list("ge 2.6.8-r2"), vulnerable:make_list("lt 2.6.8-r2"))) flag++;

if (flag)
{
  if (report_verbosity > 0) security_warning(port:0, extra:qpkg_report_get());
  else security_warning(0);
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  tested = qpkg_tests_get();
  if (tested) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_NOT_AFFECTED, tested);
  else audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_NOT_INSTALLED, "MCrypt");
}