CVE-2019-10878 – This vulnerability in Teeworlds 0.7.2 allows re... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2019-10878?

CVE-2019-10878 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). This vulnerability in Teeworlds 0.7.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code due to a bounds check failure in data file handling functions. The flaw enables arbitrary memory freeing and out-of-bounds pointer writes, potentially leading to full system compromise. Anyone running vulnerable Teeworlds servers is affected.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability in Teeworlds 0.7.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code due to a bounds check failure in data file handling functions. The flaw enables arbitrary memory freeing and out-of-bounds pointer writes, potentially leading to full system compromise. Anyone running vulnerable Teeworlds servers is affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Teeworlds

Versions: 0.7.2 specifically, potentially earlier versions with similar code

Operating Systems: Linux, Windows, macOS

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All Teeworlds servers running the vulnerable version are affected regardless of configuration.

📦 What is this software?

Teeworlds by Teeworlds

View all CVEs affecting Teeworlds →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution leading to complete server takeover, data theft, and lateral movement within the network.

🟠

Likely Case

Server crashes, denial of service, or remote code execution depending on exploit sophistication.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited to denial of service if proper network segmentation and least privilege are implemented.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Teeworlds servers are typically internet-facing game servers, making them directly accessible to attackers.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal servers could be exploited by compromised internal systems or malicious insiders.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

The vulnerability is in core data file handling functions, making exploitation feasible for skilled attackers. Public references discuss the issue in detail.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 0.7.3 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/teeworlds/teeworlds/issues/2073

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Download Teeworlds 0.7.3 or later from official sources. 2. Stop the Teeworlds server. 3. Replace the binary with the patched version. 4. Restart the server.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Network Isolation

linux

Restrict access to Teeworlds servers using firewall rules to only trusted IP addresses.

iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8303 -s trusted_ip -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8303 -j DROP

Service Account Hardening

linux

Run Teeworlds under a non-privileged user account with minimal permissions.

useradd -r -s /bin/false teeworlds
chown -R teeworlds:teeworlds /path/to/teeworlds

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Disable or shut down Teeworlds servers until patching is possible.
Implement strict network segmentation to isolate vulnerable servers from critical systems.

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Teeworlds version: teeworlds_srv --version or examine binary metadata.

Check Version:

teeworlds_srv --version

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm version is 0.7.3 or later and test server functionality.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unexpected server crashes
Memory access violation errors in logs
Unusual network connections to port 8303

Network Indicators:

Exploit traffic patterns to port 8303
Unusual outbound connections from Teeworlds server

SIEM Query:

source="teeworlds.log" AND ("crash" OR "segmentation fault" OR "access violation")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2019-10878

CVSS v3 Score: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-787

Published: April 5, 2019

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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