CVE-2018-19490 : What You Need to Know
Learn about CVE-2018-19490, a vulnerability in Gnuplot 5.2.5 that allows attackers to trigger a heap-based buffer overflow. Find out the impact, affected systems, exploitation method, and mitigation steps.
A vulnerability was found in Gnuplot 5.2.5 that allows an attacker to trigger a heap-based buffer overflow by providing an excessively long string as the right bound of the range argument in the plot function.
Understanding CVE-2018-19490
This CVE entry describes a specific vulnerability in Gnuplot 5.2.5 that can be exploited to execute a heap-based buffer overflow attack.
What is CVE-2018-19490?
This vulnerability in Gnuplot 5.2.5 enables an attacker to trigger a heap-based buffer overflow by providing a very long string as the right bound of the range argument within the df_generate_ascii_array_entry function.
The Impact of CVE-2018-19490
The vulnerability allows an attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code or crash the application, leading to a denial of service (DoS) condition.
Technical Details of CVE-2018-19490
This section provides more technical insights into the CVE-2018-19490 vulnerability.
Vulnerability Description
An issue was discovered in the datafile.c file of Gnuplot 5.2.5, allowing an attacker to conduct a heap-based buffer overflow by passing an overlong string as the right bound of the range argument in the plot function.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Product: Gnuplot 5.2.5
- Vendor: N/A
- Version: N/A
Exploitation Mechanism
To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must provide an excessively long string as the right bound of the range argument within the plot function.
Mitigation and Prevention
Protecting systems from CVE-2018-19490 involves taking immediate steps and implementing long-term security practices.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Apply security patches provided by the vendor promptly.
- Monitor for any unusual activities on the system that could indicate exploitation of the vulnerability.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly update and patch software to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
- Implement proper input validation mechanisms to prevent buffer overflow attacks.
Patching and Updates
Ensure that the latest security updates and patches are applied to the Gnuplot software to address the CVE-2018-19490 vulnerability.