CVE-2018-25432: Arm Whois 3.11 Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

Arm Whois 3.11 is vulnerable to a buffer overflow (CVE-2018-25432) that can be exploited by local attackers. The vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking when processing input files. An attacker can leverage this flaw to overwrite the structured exception handler (SEH), enabling arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability was reported in 2026 and affects version 3.11 of Arm Whois. Successful exploitation requires the attacker to have local access to the system and the ability to supply a malicious input file to the vulnerable application. This poses a significant risk to systems running Arm Whois 3.11, as it allows for privilege escalation and potential system compromise.

Attack Chain

1. Attacker gains local access to a system running Arm Whois 3.11.
2. Attacker crafts a malicious input file containing a buffer overflow payload. This payload includes a 672-byte offset designed to overwrite the nSEH and SEH pointers.
3. The attacker executes Arm Whois 3.11, providing the malicious input file as an argument or through other input mechanisms.
4. Due to the lack of proper bounds checking, the input file is processed without validation.
5. The 672-byte offset in the malicious input overwrites the nSEH and SEH pointers in memory.
6. An exception is triggered within Arm Whois 3.11.
7. The overwritten SEH is invoked, redirecting execution flow to attacker-controlled code.
8. The attacker executes arbitrary code with the privileges of the Arm Whois process, potentially escalating privileges and compromising the system.

Impact

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability (CVE-2018-25432) allows a local attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system. This can lead to privilege escalation, allowing the attacker to gain elevated access and control over the affected machine. The impact includes potential data theft, system compromise, and the installation of malware. The vulnerability poses a significant risk to any system running the vulnerable version of Arm Whois.

Recommendation

• Monitor process execution for instances of arm-whois.exe and consider blocking execution until patched (reference affected products).
• Deploy the Sigma rules provided to detect potential exploitation attempts by monitoring process creation events related to arm-whois.exe.
• Apply any available patches or updates for Arm Whois 3.11 to remediate the buffer overflow vulnerability (CVE-2018-25432) as provided by the vendor.