PowerArchiver ACE/ARJ Archive Handling Buffer Overflow

Secunia Research has discovered a vulnerability in PowerArchiver, which can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a user’s system.

The vulnerability is caused due to a boundary error when reading the filename of a compressed file from an ACE/ARJ archive. This can be exploited to cause a stack-based buffer overflow when a malicious archive containing a file with an overly long filename is opened.

Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution.

The vulnerability has been confirmed in the following versions with ACE, or ARJ archives, or both:

• PowerArchiver 2006 version 9.5 Beta 4/Beta 5

• PowerArchiver 2004 version 9.25
• PowerArchiver 2003 version 8.60
• PowerArchiver 2002 version 8.10

Prior versions may also be affected.

Solution: Update to a fixed version.

PowerArchiver 2004: Update to version 9.26.

The vulnerability has also been fixed in PowerArchiver 2006 Beta 6.

Critical: Moderately critical
Impact: System access
Where: From remote
Solution Status: Vendor Patch
Software: PowerArchiver 2002 8.x, PowerArchiver 2003 8.x, PowerArchiver 2004 9.x

[Continue reading Secunia Advisory: SA16713]