Out-of-bounds read and write in the Count-Min sketch deserialization of Apache DataSketches C++ (repo: datasketches-cpp).
count_min_sketch::deserialize() did not include the preamble in its input size check, so a truncated sketch could cause a read of up to 16 bytes past the end of the input. In addition, the table size was computed from the serialized number of buckets and number of hash functions in 32-bit arithmetic. A crafted sketch could make it wrap to zero, so that the sketch deserialized with an empty table, and later updates and estimate queries read and wrote outside the heap allocation. This can corrupt heap memory, causing a crash and potentially enabling further exploitation.
This issue affects Apache DataSketches C++: from 4.1.0 before 5.3.0. Only applications that deserialize Count-Min sketches from untrusted sources are affected.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 5.3.0, which fixes this issue.
Weakness
The product performs a calculation that can produce an integer overflow or wraparound when the logic assumes that the resulting value will always be larger than the original value. This occurs when an integer value is incremented to a value that is too large to store in the associated representation. When this occurs, the value may become a very small or negative number.
Potential Mitigations
- Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
- If possible, choose a language or compiler that performs automatic bounds checking.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid [REF-1482].
- Use libraries or frameworks that make it easier to handle numbers without unexpected consequences.
- Examples include safe integer handling packages such as SafeInt (C++) or IntegerLib (C or C++). [REF-106]
- Perform input validation on any numeric input by ensuring that it is within the expected range. Enforce that the input meets both the minimum and maximum requirements for the expected range.
- Use unsigned integers where possible. This makes it easier to perform validation for integer overflows. When signed integers are required, ensure that the range check includes minimum values as well as maximum values.
- Understand the programming language’s underlying representation and how it interacts with numeric calculation (CWE-681). Pay close attention to byte size discrepancies, precision, signed/unsigned distinctions, truncation, conversion and casting between types, “not-a-number” calculations, and how the language handles numbers that are too large or too small for its underlying representation. [REF-7]
- Also be careful to account for 32-bit, 64-bit, and other potential differences that may affect the numeric representation.