CVE-2018-25264: TransMac 12.2 DOS Vulnerability

CVE-2018-25264 Overview

CVE-2018-25264 is a buffer overflow vulnerability affecting TransMac version 12.2, a Windows utility used for accessing macOS-formatted disk drives. The vulnerability exists in the license key input field, where improper input validation allows local attackers to trigger a denial of service condition by submitting an oversized string. When a payload containing approximately 4000 bytes is pasted into the License Key field, the application crashes due to the buffer overflow.

Critical Impact

Local attackers can crash TransMac 12.2 by exploiting a buffer overflow in the license key input field, causing denial of service and potential system instability.

Affected Products

• TransMac 12.2

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-26 - CVE CVE-2018-25264 published to NVD
• 2026-04-27 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2018-25264

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-120 (Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input), a classic buffer overflow condition. The root issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate the length of user-supplied input in the license key field before copying it into a fixed-size memory buffer.

The attack requires local access to the system where TransMac is installed. An attacker does not need any special privileges to exploit this vulnerability—they simply need the ability to interact with the application's license registration interface. The impact is limited to availability, as the overflow triggers an application crash rather than allowing code execution or data compromise.

Root Cause

The vulnerability originates from insufficient bounds checking in the license key validation routine. When processing the license key input, TransMac allocates a fixed-size buffer to store the key value. The application fails to verify that the input length does not exceed the buffer capacity before performing the copy operation. This allows oversized input (approximately 4000 bytes) to overflow the buffer, corrupting adjacent memory and causing the application to crash.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local, requiring the attacker to have access to a system running TransMac 12.2. The exploitation process involves:

1. Generating a payload file containing approximately 4000 bytes of arbitrary data
2. Opening the TransMac application's license registration dialog
3. Pasting the oversized payload into the License Key input field
4. The application crashes upon attempting to process the malformed input

This results in a denial of service condition, making TransMac unusable until the application is restarted. The vulnerability does not appear to provide a vector for arbitrary code execution, though the buffer overflow could theoretically be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks depending on memory layout and protection mechanisms in place.

Technical details and proof-of-concept information are documented in the Exploit-DB #45493 entry and the VulnCheck Advisory on TransMac.

Detection Methods for CVE-2018-25264

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes of the TransMac.exe process
• Windows Application Event Log entries indicating TransMac application faults or access violations
• Presence of unusually large text files (4000+ bytes) that may be used as payload sources

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for TransMac process crashes using Windows Event Viewer or SIEM correlation rules
• Implement endpoint detection rules that alert on repeated application crashes within short time windows
• Use SentinelOne's behavioral AI to detect anomalous application termination patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable application crash logging in Windows Event Viewer for TransMac processes
• Configure alerts for frequent application faults that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Review clipboard activity monitoring if available, looking for unusually large text paste operations

How to Mitigate CVE-2018-25264

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict local access to systems running TransMac 12.2 to authorized users only
• Consider removing TransMac from systems where it is not actively required
• Monitor for updated versions of TransMac that may address this vulnerability
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized use of vulnerable applications

Patch Information

No vendor patch information is currently available in the CVE data. Organizations should check with Acute Systems (the TransMac vendor) for any available updates or security advisories addressing this vulnerability. Upgrading to a newer version of TransMac, if available, may resolve this issue.

Workarounds

• Limit physical and remote access to workstations running TransMac 12.2
• Use least-privilege principles to restrict which users can interact with the application
• Consider using alternative software for accessing macOS-formatted drives if TransMac cannot be updated
• Implement application-level monitoring to detect and respond to crash events quickly