Check Point Advisories

Microsoft Windows HLP File Handling Heap Buffer Overflow (CVE-2007-1912)

Vulnerability
Protection

Check Point Reference:	CPAI-2007-254
Date Published:	15 Aug 2010
Severity:	High
Last Updated:	Sunday 15 August, 2010
Source:
Industry Reference:	CVE-2007-1912
Protection Provided by:	Security Gateway R81, R80, R77, R75
Who is Vulnerable?
Vulnerability Description	Microsoft Windows includes a standard Help system to assist the user working with applications. The WinHelp system, first introduced with Microsoft Windows 3.1, allows a developer to create a searchable document with a table of contents, images, hyper-links and other features. The developer may link Help topics with certain areas of an application, allowing for context-based assistance when the user demands it. WinHelp files are displayed using the Microsoft Windows Help Viewer, winhlp32.exe. The commonly used file extension for WinHelp files is .hlp. There exists a buffer overflow vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability is due to a boundary error while handling specially crafted Windows Help (HLP) files. Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability by enticing the target user to open a malicious HLP file that would trigger a heap-based buffer overflow condition. Successful exploitation may allow arbitrary code injection and execution with the privileges of the currently logged-in user. In an attack case where code injection is not successful, all instances of the vulnerable application will terminate or stop responding. In a more sophisticated attack, where code injection is successful, the behavior of the target system is entirely dependent on the intended function of the injected code. The code in such a case would execute within the security context of the current user.

Protection Overview

This protection will detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability.

In order for the protection to be activated, update your Security Gateway product to the latest IPS update. For information on how to update IPS, go to SBP-2006-05, click on Protection tab and select the version of your choice.

Security Gateway R80 / R77 / R75

In the IPS tab, click Protections and find the Microsoft Windows HLP File Handling Heap Buffer Overflow protection using the Search tool and Edit the protection's settings.
Install policy on all Security Gateways.

This protection's log will contain the following information:

Attack Name: Content Protection Violation.
Attack Information: Microsoft Windows HLP file handling heap buffer overflow