A new vulnerability known as "CVE-2023-40110" has been discovered in multiple functions of the MtpPacket.cpp program, which may lead to local escalation of privilege. The issue arises from a possible out of bounds write due to a heap buffer overflow. To exploit this issue, user interaction is required. This post will discuss in detail the nature of this vulnerability, provide a code snippet abstracting its mechanism, and link to original references from trusted sources.

Overview of the Vulnerability

The vulnerable program, MtpPacket.cpp, is part of a larger software package responsible for handling MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) packets. The protocol is widely used to transfer media files between devices (e.g., a digital camera to a computer).

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in multiple functions in the program file, where an out of bounds write is possible due to a heap buffer overflow. A heap buffer overflow occurs when more data is written to a buffer than it can hold, leading to overwriting the adjacent memory locations. In this specific case, the overflow may lead to local escalation of privilege, allowing an attacker to potentially execute malicious code with more access rights than originally intended.

Code Snippet

Considering the following piece of code present in MtpPacket.cpp, notice that the variable data_length has been assigned an unchecked value from the user:

// MtpPacket.cpp

size_t data_length;
data_length = userInput(); // userInput() represents a function that retrieves untrusted input from a user

uint8_t* buffer = (uint8_t*)malloc(data_length);

memcpy(buffer, user_provided_data, data_length);

In the example above, there is no mechanism in place to prevent a user from providing an arbitrarily large data_length, potentially leading to a heap buffer overflow. The program should incorporate proper input validation and bounds checking to solve this issue.

Exploit Details

To successfully exploit this vulnerability, an attacker needs to craft a malicious input that triggers the heap buffer overflow. The attacker would have to leverage user interaction to supply this input, such as by convincing the target to download and open a specifically crafted malicious media file.

Upon the heap buffer overflow's occurrence, an attacker can potentially overwrite memory locations adjacent to the original buffer. If successful, the attacker could achieve local escalation of privilege, allowing them to execute code with higher privileges on the target system.

Official References and Mitigations

Please refer to the following official sources for the most up-to-date and accurate information on CVE-2023-40110:

1. NVD - National Vulnerability Database: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-40110
2. MITRE CVE Dictionary Entry: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-40110

As of now, there are no known advisories or patches from the software vendor. However, practicing robust secure coding principles such as input validation and proper bounds checking within the affected functions of MtpPacket.cpp will help mitigate the risk.

In conclusion, be aware of the CVE-2023-40110 vulnerability and its potential impact on systems utilizing the Media Transfer Protocol. Take necessary precautions by implementing the mentioned secure coding practices and staying up-to-date on any advisories or patches from the software vendor.

Timeline

Published on: 02/15/2024 23:15:08 UTC
Last modified on: 08/22/2024 14:35:01 UTC