{"description":"Trending threats, MITRE ATT\u0026CK coverage, and detection metadata — refreshed continuously.","feed_url":"https://feed.craftedsignal.io/tags/echat/","home_page_url":"https://feed.craftedsignal.io/","items":[{"_cs_actors":[],"_cs_cves":[],"_cs_exploited":false,"_cs_products":[],"_cs_severities":["critical"],"_cs_tags":["buffer-overflow","code-execution","echat"],"_cs_type":"advisory","_cs_vendors":[],"content_html":"\u003cp\u003eEChat Server 3.1 is susceptible to a critical buffer overflow vulnerability (CVE-2018-25221) located in the \u003ccode\u003echat.ghp\u003c/code\u003e endpoint. This flaw allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to execute arbitrary code within the context of the application. The attack is achieved by sending a specially crafted HTTP GET request to the vulnerable endpoint, including an oversized \u003ccode\u003eusername\u003c/code\u003e parameter. The excessive length of the username causes a buffer overflow, enabling the attacker to inject and execute malicious shellcode and ROP gadgets. Successful exploitation grants the attacker complete control over the targeted EChat Server instance. This vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations using the affected EChat Server version, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, and service disruption.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"attack-chain\"\u003eAttack Chain\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe attacker identifies an EChat Server 3.1 instance.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe attacker crafts a malicious HTTP GET request targeting the \u003ccode\u003echat.ghp\u003c/code\u003e endpoint.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe GET request includes a \u003ccode\u003eusername\u003c/code\u003e parameter with a value exceeding the expected buffer size.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe oversized username value contains shellcode designed for arbitrary code execution.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ccode\u003echat.ghp\u003c/code\u003e endpoint processes the GET request without proper bounds checking on the \u003ccode\u003eusername\u003c/code\u003e parameter.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe excessive username data overwrites adjacent memory regions, including return addresses on the stack.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe overwritten return addresses are manipulated to point to ROP gadgets and the injected shellcode.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUpon returning from the \u003ccode\u003echat.ghp\u003c/code\u003e handler, the hijacked execution flow executes the attacker\u0026rsquo;s shellcode, granting them control of the server.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"impact\"\u003eImpact\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuccessful exploitation of the buffer overflow vulnerability (CVE-2018-25221) in EChat Server 3.1 enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on the affected server. This can lead to complete system compromise, including the ability to install malware, steal sensitive data, or disrupt services. Given the severity and ease of exploitation, any organization running EChat Server 3.1 is at high risk.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"recommendation\"\u003eRecommendation\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApply appropriate input validation and sanitization to the \u003ccode\u003eusername\u003c/code\u003e parameter in \u003ccode\u003echat.ghp\u003c/code\u003e to prevent buffer overflows (reference CVE-2018-25221).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMonitor web server logs for unusually long GET requests targeting the \u003ccode\u003echat.ghp\u003c/code\u003e endpoint as identified in the attack chain (see rule: \u0026ldquo;Detect Suspiciously Long GET Requests to chat.ghp\u0026rdquo;).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eImplement runtime protection mechanisms to detect and prevent shellcode execution, mitigating successful exploitation attempts.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeploy the Sigma rules provided in this brief to detect exploitation attempts in your environment.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n","date_modified":"2026-03-28T12:16:02Z","date_published":"2026-03-28T12:16:02Z","id":"/briefs/2026-03-echat-buffer-overflow/","summary":"EChat Server 3.1 is vulnerable to a buffer overflow in the chat.ghp endpoint, allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by sending a crafted GET request with an oversized username parameter.","title":"EChat Server 3.1 Buffer Overflow Vulnerability in chat.ghp Endpoint","url":"https://feed.craftedsignal.io/briefs/2026-03-echat-buffer-overflow/"}],"language":"en","title":"CraftedSignal Threat Feed — Echat","version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1"}