Advisory 2007-04-01.01

Norton Multiple insufficient argument validation of hooked SSDT function Vulnerability

Basic information:

Description:

Hooking SSDT functions requires extra caution. SSDT function handlers are executed in the kernel mode but their callers are executed in the user mode. Hence all function arguments come from the user mode. This is why it is necessary to validate these arguments properly. Otherwise a simple user call can easily crash the whole system. This bug usually results in a system crash. However, it may happen that this bug is even more dangerous and may lead to the execution of an arbitrary code in the privileged kernel mode.

Symantec Norton Personal Firewall hooks many functions in SSDT and in at least two cases it fails to validate arguments that come from the user mode. User calls to NtCreateMutant and NtOpenEvent with invalid argument values can cause system crashes because of errors in Norton driver SPBBCDrv.sys. Further impacts of this bug (like arbitrary code execution in the kernel mode) were not examined.

Vulnerable software:

• Norton Personal Firewall 2006 version 9.1.1.7
• Norton Personal Firewall 2006 version 9.1.0.33
• probably all versions of Norton Personal Firewall 2006, Norton Internet Security 2006 and other products that use SPBBCDrv driver
• possibly older versions of Norton Personal Firewall and Norton Internet Security

Events:

• 2007-04-01: Advisory released
• 2007-04-01: Vendor notification

References:

• Symantec Norton Personal Firewall

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