Symantec Multiple Product Intel Alert Originator Service Invalid Length Check Overflow Vulnerability

April 28th, 2009
ZDI-09-061 ZDI-CAN-246

CVE ID

CVE-2009-1430

CVSS Score

None None

Affected Vendors

Symantec

Affected Products

Endpoint Protection
Client Security
AntiVirus Corporate Edition

Vulnerability Details

This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable installations of Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition, Symantec Client Security and Symantec Endpoint Protection. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability.

The specific flaws are exposed via the MsgSys.exe process that listens by default on TCP port 38929. This process forwards requests to the Intel Originator Service (ioa.exe) process. The iao.exe process fails to validate length specifiers within the request in several locations leading to stack based buffer overflows. The overflows occurring during calls to strcpy and memcpy leading to arbitrary code execution in the context of the SYSTEM user.

Additional Details

Symantec has issued an update to correct this vulnerability. More details can be found at:
http://www.symantec.com/business/security_response/securityupdates/detail.jsp?fid=security_advisory&pvid=security_advisory&year=2009&suid=20090428_02

Disclosure Timeline

  • 2007-11-07 - Vulnerability reported to vendor
  • 2009-04-28 - Coordinated public release of advisory

Credit

Sebastian Apelt (sebastian.apelt@siberas.de)

Back to Advisories