Cisco has issued a patch for a critical vulnerability discovered in its ClamAV open source antivirus software.
Tracked as CVE-2023-20032, Cisco said the flaw could enable remote code execution on vulnerable devices and was given a ‘critical’ CVSSv3 rating of 9.8.
The issue was found to affect versions 1.0.0 and earlier, 0.105.1 and earlier, and 0.103.7.
In an advisory posted on 15 February, Cisco said the flaw affected the ClamAV HFS+ file parser, and could enable an “unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code” with the same privileges of ClamAV’s scanning process.
The firm added that the vulnerability could also crash this process, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition.
“This vulnerability is due to a missing buffer size check that may result in a heap buffer overflow write,” the company said. “An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting a crafted HFS+ partition file to be scanned by ClamAV on an affected device.”
Vulnerable products
Cisco confirmed that several products could be at risk due to the vulnerability. This includes Secure Endpoint, formerly known as Advanced Malware Protection (AMP), for endpoints.
Users on Windows, macOS, and Linux are all affected.
RELATED RESOURCE
Nine steps to proactively manage data privacy and protection
Build trust with your employees, customers, and third parties
Cisco’s Secure Endpoint Private cloud and Secure Web Appliance, formerly Web Security Appliance, are also affected.
The company emphasised that the vulnerability does not affect other key products, such as its Secure Email Gateway and Secure Email and Web Manager.
At present, there is no indication that the flaw has been actively exploited in the wild. However, Cisco urged users to patch immediately to mitigate risk.
“The Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) is not aware of any public announcements or malicious use of the vulnerability that is described in this advisory,” the firm said.
What is ClamAV?
Clam AV is an open source antivirus platform which provides antimalware protection for users. The engine offers a range of anti-virus solutions, including email and web scanning, and endpoint security.
Statistics from Slintel show that ClamAV is used by more than 300 companies globally.
The engine was originally developed for Unix, but has third-party versions available to users of macOS, Linux, and Microsoft Windows, among others.
-
Should AI PCs be part of your next hardware refresh?AI PCs are fast becoming a business staple and a surefire way to future-proof your business
-
Westcon-Comstor and Vectra AI launch brace of new channel initiativesNews Westcon-Comstor and Vectra AI have announced the launch of two new channel growth initiatives focused on the managed security service provider (MSSP) space and AWS Marketplace.
-
Hackers are targeting Ivanti VPN users again – here’s what you need to knowNews Ivanti has re-patched a security flaw in its Connect Secure VPN appliances that's been exploited by a China-linked espionage group since at least the middle of March.
-
Broadcom issues urgent alert over three VMware zero-daysNews The firm says it has information to suggest all three are being exploited in the wild
-
Nakivo backup flaw still present on some systems months after firms’ ‘silent patch’, researchers claimNews Over 200 vulnerable Nakivo backup instances have been identified months after the firm silently patched a security flaw.
-
Everything you need to know about the Microsoft Power Pages vulnerabilityNews A severe Microsoft Power Pages vulnerability has been fixed after cyber criminals were found to have been exploiting unpatched systems in the wild.
-
Vulnerability management complexity is leaving enterprises at serious riskNews Fragmented data and siloed processes mean remediation is taking too long
-
A critical Ivanti flaw is being exploited in the wild – here’s what you need to knowNews Cyber criminals are actively exploiting a critical RCE flaw affecting Ivanti Connect Secure appliances
-
Researchers claim an AMD security flaw could let hackers access encrypted dataNews Using only a $10 test rig, researchers were able to pull off the badRAM attack
-
A journey to cyber resiliencewhitepaper DORA: Ushering in a new era of cyber security
