ASA-2019-00549 – Exim: Heap-based buffer overflow in string_vformat


Allele Security Alert

ASA-2019-00549

Identifier(s)

ASA-2019-00549, CVE-2019-16928

Title

Heap-based buffer overflow in string_vformat

Vendor(s)

The Exim Project

Product(s)

Exim

Affected version(s)

Exim versions from (and including) 4.92 up to (and including) 4.92.2

Fixed version(s)

Exim version 4.92.3

Proof of concept

Yes

Description

There is a heap-based buffer overflow in string_vformat (string.c). The currently known exploit uses a extraordinary long EHLO string to crash the Exim process that is receiving the message. While at this mode of operation Exim already dropped its privileges, other paths to reach the vulnerable code may exist.

Technical details

Unknown

Credits

QAX-A-TEAM

Reference(s)

Exim CVE-2019-16928 RCE using a heap-based buffer overflow
https://seclists.org/oss-sec/2019/q3/253

[PATCH] Fix buffer overflow in string_vformat. Bug 2449
https://git.exim.org/exim.git/patch/478effbfd9c3cc5a627fc671d4bf94d13670d65f

Bug 2449 – Heap Overflow
https://bugs.exim.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2449

[exim-dev] [Bug 2449] New: Heap Overflow
https://lists.exim.org/lurker/message/20190927.032457.c1044d4c.en.html

Exim — heap-based buffer overflow in string_vformat leading to RCE
https://www.vuxml.org/freebsd/e917caba-e291-11e9-89f1-152fed202bb7.html

CVE-2019-16928
https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2019-16928

CVE-2019-16928 in Ubuntu
https://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu-security/cve/CVE-2019-16928.html

CVE-2019-16928
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2019-16928

CVE-2019-16928
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-16928

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Last modified: September 29, 2019

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