CVE-2018-25242: One Search DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2018-25242 Overview

CVE-2018-25242 is a denial of service vulnerability affecting One Search version 1.1.0.0. The vulnerability allows local attackers to crash the application by submitting excessively long input strings to the search functionality. When an attacker pastes a buffer of 950 or more characters into the search bar, the application triggers an unhandled exception that causes it to crash, resulting in a denial of service condition.

Critical Impact

Local attackers can reliably crash the One Search application by providing oversized input to the search field, causing complete loss of availability for the affected application.

Affected Products

• One Search version 1.1.0.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-04 - CVE CVE-2018-25242 published to NVD
• 2026-04-07 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2018-25242

Vulnerability Analysis

This denial of service vulnerability stems from improper input validation in the One Search application's search functionality. The application fails to properly handle or limit the length of user-supplied input in the search bar, allowing attackers to trigger an unhandled exception by providing input strings exceeding 950 characters.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-1389, which relates to failure to properly sanitize or validate special elements that could lead to resource consumption or denial of service conditions. The local attack vector means that an attacker would need access to the system where One Search is installed to exploit this vulnerability.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation in the search functionality. The application does not implement adequate boundary checks on the length of search input strings. When a user provides input exceeding approximately 950 characters, the application encounters an unhandled exception condition, resulting in an application crash rather than graceful error handling.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2018-25242 is local, requiring an attacker to have access to a system where One Search 1.1.0.0 is installed. The exploitation process is straightforward:

1. An attacker accesses the One Search application on the target system
2. The attacker pastes or types a string of 950 or more characters into the search bar
3. Upon processing this oversized input, the application throws an unhandled exception
4. The application crashes, denying service to legitimate users

The attack requires no special privileges and no user interaction beyond submitting the malicious input. Technical details and proof-of-concept information can be found in the Exploit-DB #46195 entry.

Detection Methods for CVE-2018-25242

Indicators of Compromise

• Application crash events in Windows Event Viewer associated with the One Search process
• Repeated or unexpected termination of the One Search application
• Presence of crash dump files generated by unhandled exceptions in the One Search application

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for application crash events related to One Search in system logs
• Implement endpoint monitoring to detect unusual application termination patterns
• Review system event logs for unhandled exception events from One Search processes
• Use SentinelOne's behavioral AI to detect anomalous application crashes that may indicate exploitation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed application event logging for Windows Store applications
• Configure alerts for repeated application crashes of One Search
• Monitor for any unusual patterns of input to the application through endpoint detection solutions

How to Mitigate CVE-2018-25242

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to systems where One Search is installed to trusted users only
• Consider uninstalling One Search 1.1.0.0 if not essential for business operations
• Implement endpoint protection solutions capable of monitoring for application exploitation attempts
• Review the VulnCheck Denial of Service Advisory for additional guidance

Patch Information

No vendor patch information is currently available for this vulnerability. The application is distributed through the Microsoft Store. Users should check the Microsoft Store for any updated versions of One Search that may address this vulnerability.

Workarounds

• Remove or disable One Search 1.1.0.0 from systems where it is not required
• Limit physical and remote access to systems where One Search is installed
• Deploy application control policies to restrict who can execute the One Search application
• Consider using alternative search utilities until a patched version becomes available