CVE-2024-24199 - A Deep Dive into Misaligned Address Vulnerability in SmartDNS Commit 54b4dc

In recent years, the cybersecurity community has been rocked by the discovery of countless vulnerabilities in popular software. Among these vulnerabilities, misaligned address issues can lead to severe consequences, including crashes and exploitable conditions. This blog post will provide an in-depth analysis of a recent vulnerability discovered in SmartDNS - a popular DNS server application. The vulnerability CVE-2024-24199, present in commit 54b4dc, can be traced back to a misaligned address in the smartdns/src/dns.c file. We will delve into the technical details of this vulnerability, the potential exploits that could be built around it, and steps to mitigate the issue.

Overview of Vulnerability

SmartDNS is a lightweight DNS server developed to handle user requests quickly and efficiently. Its widespread use exposes countless users, potentially, to cybersecurity threats if any vulnerabilities were present in the application.

The misaligned address vulnerability in question, CVE-2024-24199, affects SmartDNS commit 54b4dc, which can be found in the Git Repository here: SmartDNS Commit 54b4dc.

This vulnerability was discovered during a routine code analysis of the smartdns/src/dns.c file and involves a misaligned address causing potential crashes, data corruption, and even exploitable conditions.

Technical Details

To fully grasp the context around this vulnerability, we need to understand the code in the smartdns/src/dns.c file. Below is the affected code snippet:

1. struct request {
2.     uint8_t data[MAX_REQUEST_SIZE];
3.     uint16_t request_size;
4.     uint16_t response_size;
5.     uint16_t align;
6. } __attribute__((packed));

In this code, the '_attribute_((packed))' feature was added to force the compiler to remove any padding or alignment from the data structure. However, this caused the compiler to misalign addresses and eliminate the naturally occurring alignment that ensures a well-functioning application.

Consequently, several types of Undefined Behavior issues can result from this misaligned address, such as data corruption, crashes, or exploitable conditions that pose a significant security risk.

Exploit Details

Given the nature of the vulnerability, an attacker could potentially craft a malicious DNS query, response, or an application's transaction ID to exploit the misaligned address. By doing so, they could gain unauthorized access to the affected system, conduct a Denial of Service (DoS) attack, or exploit other weaknesses within the software.

Mitigation

To mitigate this vulnerability, we recommend removing the 'packed' attribute from the data structure affected in smartdns/src/dns.c file. This will allow the compiler to enforce the natural and necessary alignment of the structure.

1. struct request {
2.     uint8_t data[MAX_REQUEST_SIZE];
3.     uint16_t request_size;
4.     uint16_t response_size;
5.     uint16_t align;
6. };

Additionally, we advise users and developers to always stay vigilant in monitoring software and applications updates. This monitoring would help in alleviating any potential risks associated with newly discovered vulnerabilities or flaws found in the software updates.

Conclusion

Misaligned addresses contribute to a long list of potentially dangerous vulnerabilities. This blog post has analyzed CVE-2024-24199, a misaligned address issue in SmartDNS commit 54b4dc, which demonstrates the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest cybersecurity news and best practices. By understanding these threats and diligently employing mitigation strategies, we can better protect our digital assets and prevent potential exploits.

Timeline

Published on: 06/06/2024 22:15:10 UTC
Last modified on: 10/29/2024 19:26:03 UTC