Executive Summary

CVE-2016-20044 is a local buffer overflow vulnerability in PInfo version 0.6.9-5.1 that occurs when an attacker supplies an oversized argument to the -m parameter.

The vulnerability allows a local attacker to craft a malicious input string with 564 bytes of padding followed by a return address, which overwrites the instruction pointer and enables execution of arbitrary shellcode with user privileges.

This means the attacker can execute code of their choice on the affected system by exploiting this buffer overflow.

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Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can allow a local attacker to execute arbitrary code with the same user privileges as the victim.

Successful exploitation can lead to local privilege escalation or unauthorized command execution on the affected system.

Because the attacker can control the instruction pointer and run shellcode, they may gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or disrupt system operations.

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Detection Guidance

This vulnerability can be detected by testing the PInfo 0.6.9-5.1 application for buffer overflow behavior when using the -m parameter with an oversized argument.

A practical detection method is to run the vulnerable program with a crafted input string consisting of 564 bytes of padding followed by a specific pattern to observe if a segmentation fault or crash occurs, indicating control over the instruction pointer.

For example, on a Linux system, you can use a command similar to the following to test the vulnerability:

• python -c 'print("A"*564 + "DCBA")' | xargs -I{} pinfo -m "{}"

If the program crashes with a segmentation fault (SIGSEGV) and debugging shows the pattern "DCBA" in registers, this confirms the buffer overflow vulnerability.

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Mitigation Strategies

Immediate mitigation steps include restricting local access to the vulnerable PInfo 0.6.9-5.1 application to trusted users only, as the vulnerability requires local attacker privileges.

Avoid running the pinfo command with the -m parameter on untrusted input or scripts.

If possible, remove or disable the vulnerable version of PInfo until a patched version is available.

Monitor for unusual crashes or behavior of the pinfo application that might indicate exploitation attempts.

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