| Name |
Client-side Injection-induced Buffer Overflow |
|
| Likelyhood of attack |
Typical severity |
| Medium |
High |
|
| Summary |
This type of attack exploits a buffer overflow vulnerability in targeted client software through injection of malicious content from a custom-built hostile service. |
| Prerequisites |
The targeted client software communicates with an external server. The targeted client software has a buffer overflow vulnerability. |
| Execution Flow |
| Step |
Phase |
Description |
Techniques |
| 1 |
Explore |
The attacker creates a custom hostile service |
|
| 2 |
Explore |
The attacker acquires information about the kind of client attaching to their hostile service to determine if it contains an exploitable buffer overflow vulnerability. |
|
| 3 |
Exploit |
The attacker intentionally feeds malicious data to the client to exploit the buffer overflow vulnerability that they have uncovered. |
|
| 4 |
Exploit |
The attacker leverages the exploit to execute arbitrary code or to cause a denial of service. |
|
|
| Solutions | The client software should not install untrusted code from a non-authenticated server. The client software should have the latest patches and should be audited for vulnerabilities before being used to communicate with potentially hostile servers. Perform input validation for length of buffer inputs. Use a language or compiler that performs automatic bounds checking. Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution. Compiler-based canary mechanisms such as StackGuard, ProPolice and the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag. Unless this provides automatic bounds checking, it is not a complete solution. Ensure all buffer uses are consistently bounds-checked. Use OS-level preventative functionality. Not a complete solution. |
| Related Weaknesses |
|
CWE ID
|
Description
|
| CWE-20 |
Improper Input Validation |
| CWE-74 |
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection') |
| CWE-118 |
Incorrect Access of Indexable Resource ('Range Error') |
| CWE-119 |
Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer |
| CWE-120 |
Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow') |
| CWE-353 |
Missing Support for Integrity Check |
| CWE-680 |
Integer Overflow to Buffer Overflow |
| CWE-697 |
Incorrect Comparison |
| CWE-713 |
OWASP Top Ten 2007 Category A2 - Injection Flaws |
|
| Related CAPECS |
|
CAPEC ID
|
Description
|
| CAPEC-100 |
Buffer Overflow attacks target improper or missing bounds checking on buffer operations, typically triggered by input injected by an adversary. As a consequence, an adversary is able to write past the boundaries of allocated buffer regions in memory, causing a program crash or potentially redirection of execution as per the adversaries' choice. |
|