CVE-2019-16163 : Security Advisory and Response

Oniguruma before version 6.9.3 is susceptible to Stack Exhaustion due to recursive operations in the regparse.c file.

Understanding CVE-2019-16163

What is CVE-2019-16163?

CVE-2019-16163 is a vulnerability in Oniguruma that can lead to Stack Exhaustion because of recursion in the regparse.c file.

The Impact of CVE-2019-16163

This vulnerability can be exploited to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition by exhausting the stack.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-16163

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises in Oniguruma versions prior to 6.9.3, where recursive operations in regparse.c can trigger Stack Exhaustion.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: n/a
Vendor: n/a
Versions affected: All versions prior to 6.9.3

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by performing recursive operations in the regparse.c file, leading to Stack Exhaustion.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Oniguruma to version 6.9.3 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor for any unusual stack usage patterns that could indicate exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and libraries to the latest versions to address known vulnerabilities.
Implement stack usage monitoring tools to detect abnormal behavior that could indicate stack exhaustion attacks.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by the vendor to fix the vulnerability and prevent potential exploitation.