CVE-2018-5392 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

CVE-2018-5392 was published on August 14, 2018, by certcc. It involves mingw-w64 version 5.0.4, which generates executables that claim to be ASLR compatible but are not, making them vulnerable to ROP attacks.

Understanding CVE-2018-5392

What is CVE-2018-5392?

CVE-2018-5392 relates to mingw-w64 version 5.0.4, which incorrectly generates Windows executables that are not truly ASLR compatible, despite indicating compatibility.

The Impact of CVE-2018-5392

The vulnerability allows for easier exploitation of vulnerabilities in executables produced by mingw-w64, potentially leading to security breaches and unauthorized access.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-5392

Vulnerability Description

mingw-w64 version 5.0.4 creates executables that falsely claim ASLR compatibility but lack the necessary relocations table, making them susceptible to ROP attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: mingw-w64
Vendor: mingw
Version: 5.0.4

Exploitation Mechanism

Executables produced by mingw-w64 lack the relocations table required for ASLR, making them vulnerable to ROP attacks.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Avoid using executables generated by mingw-w64 version 5.0.4 for critical applications.
Implement additional security measures to compensate for the lack of ASLR compatibility.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update mingw-w64 to patched versions that address the ASLR compatibility issue.

Patching and Updates

Check for updates from mingw-w64 to ensure that the executables are ASLR compatible and secure.