CVE-2009-2624: Input Validation

Published Jul 30, 2009
·
Updated

A missing input sanitation flaw was found in the way gzip used to decompress data blocks for dynamic Huffman codes. A remote attacker could provide a specially-crafted gzip compressed data archive, which once opened by a local, unsuspecting user would lead to denial of service (gzip crash) or, potentially, to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running gzip.

Upstream patch: --------------- http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/gzip.git/commit/?id=39a362ae9d9b007473381dba5032f4dfc1744cf2

CVE Note: --------- This flaw reportedly exists due to re-introduction of CVE-2006-4334 issue:

http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2006-4334

in upstream gzip version (originally fixed in gzip-v1.3.6, reintroduced later in gzip-v1.3.10 and fixed again with above commit -- in gzip-v.1.3.13).

Credit: ------- Oulu University Secure Programming Group (OUSPG)

Other sources

The huftbuild function in inflate.c in gzip before 1.3.13 creates a hufts (aka huffman) table that is too small, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash or infinite loop) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted archive. NOTE: this issue is caused by a CVE-2006-4334 regression.

MITRE

Affected Software

15 affected components
GNU gzip<=1.3.12
GNU gzip=1.2.4
GNU gzip=1.2.4a
GNU gzip=1.3
GNU gzip=1.3.1
GNU gzip=1.3.2
GNU gzip=1.3.3
GNU gzip=1.3.4
GNU gzip=1.3.5
GNU gzip=1.3.6
GNU gzip=1.3.7
GNU gzip=1.3.8
GNU gzip=1.3.9
GNU gzip=1.3.10
GNU gzip=1.3.11

Event History

Jul 30, 2009
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·12:42 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Jan 29, 2010
CVE Published
via MITRE·06:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·06:00 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·06:30 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2009-2624?

CVE-2009-2624 is categorized as a denial of service vulnerability due to a missing input sanitation flaw in gzip.

2

How do I fix CVE-2009-2624?

To fix CVE-2009-2624, upgrade to the latest version of gzip that addresses the vulnerability.

3

Which versions of gzip are affected by CVE-2009-2624?

Versions 1.3.1 to 1.3.12 of GNU gzip are affected by CVE-2009-2624.

4

What are the risks of not addressing CVE-2009-2624?

Not addressing CVE-2009-2624 may leave systems vulnerable to denial of service attacks leading to crashes.

5

How can I check if my system is vulnerable to CVE-2009-2624?

You can check if your system is vulnerable to CVE-2009-2624 by verifying the version of gzip installed on your system.

Contact

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