CVE-2017-17946
📋 TL;DR
A buffer overflow vulnerability in Handy Password 4.9.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by sending a specially crafted email with an overly long 'Title name' field. This affects users of Handy Password 4.9.3 who use the 'Open from mail box' feature to import passwords from email.
💻 Affected Systems
- Handy Password
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with remote code execution, allowing attackers to steal all stored passwords, install malware, or pivot to other systems.
Likely Case
Attackers execute arbitrary code to steal stored credentials and potentially gain persistent access to the victim's system.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if the vulnerable feature is disabled or the software is not exposed to untrusted email sources.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending a malicious email that the victim processes through Handy Password's mail import feature.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 4.9.4 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.handypassword.com/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download latest version from official Handy Password website. 2. Install over existing installation. 3. Restart computer.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable mail import feature
windowsPrevent exploitation by disabling the vulnerable 'Open from mail box' functionality.
Email filtering
allBlock or quarantine emails with unusually long subject lines that could trigger the vulnerability.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable or uninstall Handy Password until patched
- Implement strict email filtering to block suspicious emails with long subject lines
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Help > About in Handy Password to see if version is 4.9.3.Check Version:
Not applicable - check through application GUIVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 4.9.4 or later in Help > About.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes when processing email imports
- Unusual process creation from Handy Password
Network Indicators:
- Incoming emails with extremely long subject lines
- Outbound connections from Handy Password to unexpected destinations
SIEM Query:
process_name:"Handy Password.exe" AND (event_type:crash OR parent_process:unusual)🔗 References
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Jan/22
- https://sidechannel.tempestsi.com/password-manager-flaw-allows-for-arbitrary-command-execution-b6bb273206b1
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Jan/22
- https://sidechannel.tempestsi.com/password-manager-flaw-allows-for-arbitrary-command-execution-b6bb273206b1
