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Difference between revisions of "Doubly freeing memory"

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{{Template:SecureSoftware}}
 
{{Template:SecureSoftware}}
  
==Overview==
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[[Category:FIXME|This is the text from the old template. This needs to be rewritten using the new template.]]
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Last revision (mm/dd/yy): '''{{REVISIONMONTH}}/{{REVISIONDAY}}/{{REVISIONYEAR}}'''
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[[ASDR_TOC_Vulnerabilities|Vulnerabilities Table of Contents]]
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[[ASDR Table of Contents]]
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__TOC__
  
Freeing or deleting the same memory chunk twice may - when combined with other flaws - result in a write-what-where condition.
 
  
==Consequences ==
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==Description==
  
* Access control: Doubly freeing memory may result in a write-what-where condition, allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code.
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Freeing or deleting the same memory chunk twice may - when combined with other flaws - result in a write-what-where condition.
  
==Exposure period ==
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'''Consequences'''
  
* Requirements specification: A language which handles memory allocation and garbage collection automatically might be chosen.
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* Access control: Doubly freeing memory may result in a write-what-where condition, allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code.
  
* Implementation: Double frees are caused most often by lower-level logical errors.
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'''Exposure period'''
  
==Platform ==
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* Requirements specification: A language which handles memory allocation and garbage collection automatically might be chosen.
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* Implementation: Double frees are caused most often by lower-level logical errors.
  
* Language: C, C++, Assembly
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'''Platform'''
  
* Operating system: All
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* Language: C, C++, Assembly
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* Operating system: All
  
==Required resources ==
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'''Required resources'''
  
 
Any
 
Any
  
==Severity ==
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'''Severity'''
  
 
High
 
High
  
==Likelihood of exploit ==
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'''Likelihood of exploit'''
  
 
Low to Medium
 
Low to Medium
  
==Avoidance and mitigation ==
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Doubly freeing memory can result in roughly the same write-what-where condition that the use of previously freed memory will.
  
* Implementation: Ensure that each allocation is freed only once. After freeing a chunk, set the pointer to NULL to ensure the pointer cannot be freed again. In complicated error conditions, be sure that clean-up routines respect the state of allocation properly. If the language is object oriented, ensure that object destructors delete each chunk of memory only once.
 
  
==Discussion ==
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==Risk Factors==
  
Doubly freeing memory can result in roughly the same write-what-where condition that the use of previously freed memory will.
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TBD
  
==Examples ==
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==Examples==
  
 
While contrived, this code should be exploitable on Linux distributions which do not ship with heap-chunk check summing turned on.
 
While contrived, this code should be exploitable on Linux distributions which do not ship with heap-chunk check summing turned on.
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</pre>
 
</pre>
  
==Related problems ==
 
  
* [[Using freed memory]]
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==Related [[Attacks]]==
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* [[Attack 1]]
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* [[Attack 2]]
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==Related [[Vulnerabilities]]==
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* [[Using freed memory]]
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* [[Write-what-where condition]]
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==Related [[Controls]]==
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* Implementation: Ensure that each allocation is freed only once. After freeing a chunk, set the pointer to NULL to ensure the pointer cannot be freed again. In complicated error conditions, be sure that clean-up routines respect the state of allocation properly. If the language is object oriented, ensure that object destructors delete each chunk of memory only once.
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==Related [[Technical Impacts]]==
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* [[Technical Impact 1]]
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* [[Technical Impact 2]]
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==References==
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TBD
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[[Category:FIXME|add links
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In addition, one should classify vulnerability based on the following subcategories: Ex:<nowiki>[[Category:Error Handling Vulnerability]]</nowiki>
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Availability Vulnerability
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Authorization Vulnerability
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Authentication Vulnerability
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Concurrency Vulnerability
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Configuration Vulnerability
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Cryptographic Vulnerability
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Encoding Vulnerability
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Error Handling Vulnerability
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Input Validation Vulnerability
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Logging and Auditing Vulnerability
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Session Management Vulnerability]]
  
* [[Write-what-where condition]]
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__NOTOC__
  
  
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[[Category:OWASP ASDR Project]]
 
[[Category:Vulnerability]]
 
[[Category:Vulnerability]]
 
[[Category:Range and Type Error Vulnerability]]
 
[[Category:Range and Type Error Vulnerability]]

Revision as of 23:04, 23 September 2008

This is a Vulnerability. To view all vulnerabilities, please see the Vulnerability Category page.

Last revision (mm/dd/yy): 09/23/2008

Vulnerabilities Table of Contents

ASDR Table of Contents


Description

Freeing or deleting the same memory chunk twice may - when combined with other flaws - result in a write-what-where condition.

Consequences

  • Access control: Doubly freeing memory may result in a write-what-where condition, allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code.

Exposure period

  • Requirements specification: A language which handles memory allocation and garbage collection automatically might be chosen.
  • Implementation: Double frees are caused most often by lower-level logical errors.

Platform

  • Language: C, C++, Assembly
  • Operating system: All

Required resources

Any

Severity

High

Likelihood of exploit

Low to Medium

Doubly freeing memory can result in roughly the same write-what-where condition that the use of previously freed memory will.


Risk Factors

TBD

Examples

While contrived, this code should be exploitable on Linux distributions which do not ship with heap-chunk check summing turned on.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <unistd.h>

#define BUFSIZE1    512
#define BUFSIZE2    ((BUFSIZE1/2) - 8)

int main(int argc, char **argv) { 
  char *buf1R1;    
  char *buf2R1;    
  char *buf1R2;    

  buf1R1 = (char *) malloc(BUFSIZE2);    
  buf2R1 = (char *) malloc(BUFSIZE2);    
  
  free(buf1R1);    
  free(buf2R1);    

  buf1R2 = (char *) malloc(BUFSIZE1);    
  strncpy(buf1R2, argv[1], BUFSIZE1-1);    
  
  free(buf2R1);    
  free(buf1R2);
}


Related Attacks


Related Vulnerabilities


Related Controls

  • Implementation: Ensure that each allocation is freed only once. After freeing a chunk, set the pointer to NULL to ensure the pointer cannot be freed again. In complicated error conditions, be sure that clean-up routines respect the state of allocation properly. If the language is object oriented, ensure that object destructors delete each chunk of memory only once.


Related Technical Impacts


References

TBD