CWE

Improper Address Validation in IOCTL with METHOD_NEITHER I/O Control Code

ID: 781		Date: (C)2012-05-14   (M)2022-10-10
Type: weakness		Status: DRAFT
Abstraction Type: Variant

Description

The software defines an IOCTL that uses METHOD_NEITHER for I/O, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates the addresses that are provided.

Extended Description

When an IOCTL uses the METHOD_NEITHER option for I/O control, it is the responsibility of the IOCTL to validate the addresses that have been supplied to it. If validation is missing or incorrect, attackers can supply arbitrary memory addresses, leading to code execution or a denial of service.

Likelihood of Exploit: Low to Medium

Applicable Platforms
Language: Often
Language: C
Language: Often
Language: C++
Operating System: Sometimes
Operating System: Windows XP
Operating System: Sometimes
Operating System: Windows 2000
Operating System: Sometimes
Operating System: Windows Vista

Time Of Introduction

• Architecture and Design
• Implementation

Common Consequences

Scope	Technical Impact	Notes
Integrity Availability Confidentiality	Modify memory Read memory Execute unauthorized code or commands DoS: crash / exit / restart	An attacker may be able to access memory that belongs to another process or user. If the attacker can control the contents that the IOCTL writes, it may lead to code execution at high privilege levels. At the least, a crash can occur.

Detection Methods
None

Potential Mitigations

Phase	Strategy	Description	Effectiveness	Notes
Implementation		If METHOD_NEITHER is required for the IOCTL, then ensure that all user-space addresses are properly validated before they are first accessed. The ProbeForRead and ProbeForWrite routines are available for this task. Also properly protect and manage the user-supplied buffers, since the I/O Manager does not do this when METHOD_NEITHER is being used. See References.
Architecture and Design		If possible, avoid using METHOD_NEITHER in the IOCTL and select methods that effectively control the buffer size, such as METHOD_BUFFERED, METHOD_IN_DIRECT, or METHOD_OUT_DIRECT.
Architecture and Design Implementation		If the IOCTL is part of a driver that is only intended to be accessed by trusted users, then use proper access control for the associated device or device namespace. See References.

Relationships

Related CWE	Type	View	Chain
CWE-781 CanPrecede CWE-822	Weakness	CWE-699

Demonstrative Examples
None

Observed Examples

1. CVE-2006-2373 : Driver for file-sharing and messaging protocol allows attackers to execute arbitrary code.
2. CVE-2009-0686 : Anti-virus product does not validate addresses, allowing attackers to gain SYSTEM privileges.
3. CVE-2009-0824 : DVD software allows attackers to cause a crash.
4. CVE-2008-5724 : Personal firewall allows attackers to gain SYSTEM privileges.
5. CVE-2007-5756 : chain: device driver for packet-capturing software allows access to an unintended IOCTL with resultant array index error.

For more examples, refer to CVE relations in the bottom box.

White Box Definitions
None

Black Box Definitions
None

Taxynomy Mappings
None

References:

1. Ruben Santamarta .Exploiting Common Flaws in Drivers. 2007-07-11.
2. Yuriy Bulygin .Remote and Local Exploitation of Network Drivers. 2007-08-01.
3. Anibal Sacco .Windows driver vulnerabilities: the METHOD_NEITHER odyssey. Published on October 2008.
4. Microsoft .Buffer Descriptions for I/O Control Codes.
5. Microsoft .Using Neither Buffered Nor Direct I/O.
6. Microsoft .Securing Device Objects.
7. Piotr Bania ..