CVE-2023-40107 - A Closer Look into ARTPWriter.cpp Use After Free Vulnerability and Its Exploitation

A new critical vulnerability dubbed CVE-2023-40107 has been discovered in ARTPWriter of ARTPWriter.cpp, which potentially allows an attacker to perform a local escalation of privilege without any additional execution privileges needed. This blog post will walk you through the details of this vulnerability, its exploitation process, and key references related to the issue.

The vulnerability stems from a "use after free" issue due to uninitialized data in the ARTPWriter of ARTPWriter.cpp, which could be exploited by a malicious user without any need for user interaction. The ARTPWriter is an essential component responsible for handling media streaming aspects in the impacted software modules.

Code Snippet

To better understand the vulnerability, let's take a closer look at the code snippet in ARTPWriter.cpp where the issue arises:

void ARTPWriter::initialize_streaming(data_t *data) {
  stream_data = data;
  if (stream_data == nullptr) {
    // Throw error or return, as stream_data must not be null
  }
  // ... initialize other variables and functions
}

void ARTPWriter::stream_data_process() {
  // ... process data in stream_data
  if (some_condition) {
    delete stream_data;
    stream_data = nullptr;
  }
  //... continue to manipulate stream_data without checking for nullptr
}

In the above code, the function initialize_streaming() assigns a pointer to the stream_data variable, and this data is then processed in the stream_data_process() function. However, it's possible for the stream_data pointer to be deleted during the data processing, but then unintentionally accessed later without checking if the pointer is nullptr.

Maliciously craft input to trigger the use after free vulnerability in the ARTPWriter component.

3. Exploit the vulnerability to escalate the attacker's privileges on the target system, potentially leading to further system compromise or data theft.

It is important to note that this vulnerability doesn't require user interaction for exploitation, making it a high priority issue that requires immediate attention from developers and system administrators.

Original References

For further information and technical details about this vulnerability, you can refer to the following sources:

1. CVE information: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-40107
2. Official vulnerability report: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-40107

Mitigation

To mitigate this vulnerability, software developers and vendors should refactor the vulnerable code as follows:

void ARTPWriter::initialize_streaming(data_t *data) {
  stream_data = data;
  if (stream_data == nullptr) {
    // Throw error or return, as stream_data must not be null
  }
  // ... initialize other variables and functions
}

void ARTPWriter::stream_data_process() {
  // ... process data in stream_data
  if (some_condition) {
    delete stream_data;
    stream_data = nullptr;
  }
  if (stream_data != nullptr) {
    // ... continue to manipulate stream_data only if it's not null
  }
}

In the refactored code, the function stream_data_process() checks if the stream_data pointer is nullptr before manipulating the pointers after deletion.

In addition to applying the code fix, it is also vital for end-users to regularly update their software and apply security patches provided by the software vendors.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-40107 is a critical vulnerability that could lead to a local escalation of privilege without additional execution privileges and user interaction needed. By understanding the underlying issue, exploit details, and mitigation methods, developers and system administrators can protect their systems from being compromised as a result of this vulnerability.

Timeline

Published on: 02/15/2024 23:15:08 UTC
Last modified on: 02/16/2024 13:37:55 UTC