CriticalPublic exploit

RDP Password Decoder Stack Buffer Overflow in Cain & Abel

IdentifiersCVE-2008-5405CWE-121

Cain & Abel 4.9.23 and 4.9.24, and possibly earlier versions, contain a stack-based buffer overflow in the RDP protocol password decoder. A specially crafted RDP file containing an excessively long string can overflow the decoder's stack buffer and enable remote arbitrary code execution.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the affected Cain & Abel process.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Deploy IPS signatures that detect and block exploitation attempts, such as those provided by Check Point (CPAI-2017-0269) for Security Gateway versions R81, R80, R77, and R75. Additionally, educate users to avoid opening RDP files from untrusted sources.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade to a fixed version of Cain & Abel, if available. If no patch is available, discontinue use of the affected versions and avoid opening untrusted RDP files.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

1 valid exploit after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos (3 hidden).

VALID 1 / 4 TOTALView more in app

cain_abel_4918_rdp.rbMaturityWeaponizedFrameworkmetasploitVerified exploit

This repository contains a single Metasploit module (modules/exploits/windows/fileformat/cain_abel_4918_rdp.rb) that exploits a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability (CVE-2008-5405) in Cain & Abel v4.9.24 and below. The exploit works by generating a specially crafted RDP file (default name: exploit_cain.rdp) that, when opened by a victim using the Cain & Abel tool's Remote Desktop Password Decoder feature, triggers the overflow and executes arbitrary code. The module allows the attacker to specify a payload (up to 800 bytes, avoiding certain bad characters), which is embedded in the malicious file. The exploit targets Windows XP (various service packs and languages) and requires user interaction to open the file. The repository is part of the Metasploit framework and is written in Ruby. No network endpoints are involved; the attack vector is local, relying on social engineering to convince the victim to open the file.

Disclosed Nov 30, 2008rubylocal

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType

OxidCain And Abelapplication

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

No public activity tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

0 SOURCESView more in app

No public activity observed for this vulnerability.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.

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Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity