Vulnerability Note VU#340420
IBM Access Support ActiveX control stack buffer overflow
Overview
The IBM Access Support ActiveX control contains a stack buffer overflow, which may allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code on a vulnerable system.
Description
The IBM Access Support ActiveX control has the ability to collect system information, such as make, model, serial number, OS version, etc. This control is available on the IBM / Lenovo web site, and also may come pre-installed on IBM and Lenovo computer systems. The IBM Access Support ActiveX control, which is provided by IbmEgath.dll, contains a stack buffer overflow in the GetXMLValue() method. We have confirmed that version 3.20.284.0 is vulnerable. Other versions may also contain the flaw. |
Impact
By convincing a user to view a specially crafted HTML document (e.g., a web page or an HTML email message or attachment), an attacker may be able to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user. The attacker could also cause Internet Explorer (or the program using the WebBrowser control) to crash. |
Solution
We are currently unaware of a practical solution to this problem. Please consider the following workarounds: |
Disable the IBM Access Support ActiveX control in Internet Explorer
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ActiveX Compatibility\{74FFE28D-2378-11D5-990C-006094235084}] "Compatibility Flags"=dword:00000400 Disabling ActiveX controls in the Internet Zone (or any zone used by an attacker) appears to prevent exploitation of this and other ActiveX vulnerabilities. Instructions for disabling ActiveX in the Internet Zone can be found in the "Securing Your Web Browser" document. |
Systems Affected (Learn More)
Vendor | Status | Date Notified | Date Updated |
---|---|---|---|
IBM Corporation | Affected | 22 Aug 2008 | 05 Feb 2009 |
Lenovo | Affected | 22 Aug 2008 | 05 Feb 2009 |
CVSS Metrics (Learn More)
Group | Score | Vector |
---|---|---|
Base | N/A | N/A |
Temporal | N/A | N/A |
Environmental | N/A | N/A |
References
- http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/380277
- http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/securing_browser/
- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/240797
Credit
Thanks to Chris Weber of Casaba Security for reporting this vulnerability.
This document was written by Will Dormann.
Other Information
- CVE IDs: CVE-2009-0215
- Date Public: 24 Mar 2009
- Date First Published: 24 Mar 2009
- Date Last Updated: 25 Mar 2009
- Severity Metric: 3.36
- Document Revision: 15
Feedback
If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us email.