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Vantage Linguistics AnswerWorks 4 API ActiveX Control Buffer Overflow Advisory Available in Danish  Advisory Available in German 

Secunia Advisory: SA26566  
Release Date: 2007-12-11
Last Update: 2007-12-18

Critical:
Highly critical
Impact: System access
Where: From remote
Solution Status: Vendor Patch

Software:Vantage Linguistics AnswerWorks 3.x
Vantage Linguistics AnswerWorks 4.x
Vantage Linguistics AnswerWorks 5.x

CVE reference:CVE-2007-6387 (Secunia mirror)

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Description:
Parvez Anwar has discovered a vulnerability in Vantage Linguistics AnswerWorks, which can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a user's system.

The vulnerability is caused due to a boundary error within the awApi4.AnswerWorks.1 (awApi4.dll) ActiveX control when handling arguments passed to certain methods (e.g. "GetHistory()", "GetSeedQuery()", "SetSeedQuery()"). This can be exploited to cause a stack-based buffer overflow by passing an overly long (greater than 215 bytes) argument to the affected methods.

Successful exploitation allows execution of arbitrary code when a user e.g. is tricked into visiting a malicious website.

The vulnerability is confirmed in awApi4.dll version 4.0.0.42 and affects AnswerWorks versions 3.0.0.0 to 4.0.0.100, and 5.0.0.0 to 5.0.0.6.

Do you have this product installed on your home computer? Scan using the free Personal Software Inspector. Check if a vulnerable version is installed on computers in your corporate network, scan using the Network Software Inspector.

Solution:
Apply patch.
http://www.vantagelinguistics.com/downloads/awsecuritypatch.msi

MS07-069 sets the kill-bit for the affected ActiveX control.

Provided and/or discovered by:
Parvez Anwar

Changelog:
2007-12-12: Fixed typo in "Description" section.
2007-12-18: Added CVE reference.

Original Advisory:
Vantage Linguistics:
http://www.vantagelinguistics.com/answerworks/release/

Other References:
MS07-069 (KB942615):
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms07-069.mspx

Extended Solution:
The "Extended Solution" section is available for Secunia customers only. Request a trial and get access to the Secunia Customer Area and Extended Secunia advisories.



Please note: The information that this Secunia Advisory is based on comes from a third party unless stated otherwise.

Secunia collects, validates, and verifies all vulnerability reports issued by security research groups, vendors, and others.


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