CVE-2017-1000378

The NetBSD qsort() function is recursive, and not randomized, an attacker can construct a pathological input array of N elements that causes qsort() to…

published June 19, 2017

CVSS
—
EPSS
4%
Percentile
90.8
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

⚠️ A crafted input is all it takes to put the NetBSD qsort() function on a recursive rollercoaster! 🎢 Think of qsort() like a chef who carefully organizes ingredients by following a recipe—but if that recipe has a loop, the chef might just keep going in circles without ever finishing the meal! If an attacker successfully triggers this vulnerability, they could force the system to consume excessive stack memory, potentially leading to crashes or even enabling remote code execution. This could put user data and system integrity at risk, leading to devastating consequences.

Put simply

Think of qsort() like a chef who carefully organizes ingredients by following a recipe—but if that recipe has a loop, the chef might just keep going in circles without ever finishing the meal! The qsort() function suffers from a lack of randomness, allowing attackers to exploit it by providing input that causes it to recurse deterministically. This can result in excessive stack memory consumption and may facilitate arbitrary code execution.

What to do

If an attacker successfully triggers this vulnerability, they could force the system to consume excessive stack memory, potentially leading to crashes or even enabling remote code execution. This could put user data and system integrity at risk, leading to devastating consequences. To mitigate this vulnerability, ensure you update to the latest version of NetBSD that addresses this issue. Additionally, review your input validation processes and consider implementing randomization techniques for sorting functions. You’ve got this! With these steps, you’ll have your system secured in no time. 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS
Not scored
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.04123 · 90.8th percentile
Published
2017-06-19T16:00Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 19 JUN 16:00Z
    The NetBSD qsort() function is recursive, and not randomized, an attacker can construct a pathological input array of N elements that causes qsort() to…
    cvelistv5