CVE-2017-5356 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Irssi before 0.8.21 is vulnerable to a denial of service attack due to an out-of-bounds read caused by a specific string format. This CVE was published on March 3, 2017.

Understanding CVE-2017-5356

Versions of Irssi prior to 0.8.21 are susceptible to a remote denial of service attack triggered by a malformed string input.

What is CVE-2017-5356?

Irssi versions before 0.8.21 are prone to a denial of service vulnerability caused by a specific string format manipulation.

The Impact of CVE-2017-5356

The vulnerability allows remote attackers to crash the system by exploiting an out-of-bounds read triggered by a malformed string input.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-5356

Irssi before version 0.8.21 is affected by this vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from a formatting sequence (%[) without a closing bracket (]), leading to an out-of-bounds read and system crash.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Irssi
Vendor: N/A
Versions Affected: Irssi versions prior to 0.8.21

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited remotely by sending a crafted string containing the specific formatting sequence.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate action and long-term security practices are crucial to mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2017-5356.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Irssi to version 0.8.21 or later to eliminate the vulnerability.
Monitor security advisories for any related patches or updates.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and systems to patch known vulnerabilities.
Implement network security measures to prevent remote attacks.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches and updates provided by the vendor to address the vulnerability in Irssi.