CVE-2018-1000878 : Security Advisory and Response

A vulnerability in libarchive affecting the RAR decoder has been identified, potentially leading to a crash or denial of service (DoS) attack. This CVE was assigned on December 19, 2018, and made public on December 20, 2018.

Understanding CVE-2018-1000878

This CVE pertains to a Use After Free vulnerability in libarchive's RAR decoder.

What is CVE-2018-1000878?

Starting from commit 416694915449219d505531b1096384f3237dd6cc onwards (release v3.1.0 onwards), a vulnerability exists in libarchive's RAR decoder, specifically in the file libarchive/archive_read_support_format_rar.c. If exploited, it can result in a crash or DoS attack. Remote code execution (RCE) potential is currently unknown, requiring the victim to open a specially crafted RAR archive.

The Impact of CVE-2018-1000878

The vulnerability could lead to a crash or DoS attack, but the possibility of RCE remains uncertain.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-1000878

This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability lies in the RAR decoder of libarchive, potentially resulting in a crash or DoS attack.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: n/a
Vendor: n/a
Versions: All versions from release v3.1.0 onwards

Exploitation Mechanism

To exploit this vulnerability, a victim must open a specially crafted RAR archive.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protective measures and steps to mitigate the impact of CVE-2018-1000878.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update libarchive to the latest patched version.
Avoid opening RAR archives from untrusted or unknown sources.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and libraries to patch known vulnerabilities.
Implement network and system monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely installation of security patches and updates provided by libarchive.