CVE-2019-25357: Control Center PRO Buffer Overflow Flaw

CVE-2019-25357 Overview

Control Center PRO 6.2.9 contains a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the user creation module's username field that allows attackers to overwrite the Structured Exception Handler (SEH). Attackers can craft a malicious payload exceeding 664 bytes to inject shellcode and potentially execute arbitrary code on vulnerable Windows systems.

Critical Impact

This stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability enables attackers to overwrite SEH handlers and potentially achieve arbitrary code execution on affected Windows systems running Control Center PRO 6.2.9.

Affected Products

• Control Center PRO 6.2.9
• WebGate Control Center PRO software

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-18 - CVE CVE-2019-25357 published to NVD
• 2026-02-19 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25357

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-121 (Stack-based Buffer Overflow), a memory corruption flaw that occurs when a program writes more data to a stack-allocated buffer than it can hold. In the case of Control Center PRO 6.2.9, the user creation module fails to properly validate the length of input provided in the username field before copying it to a fixed-size stack buffer.

The vulnerability requires local access and user interaction to exploit. When an attacker provides a specially crafted username exceeding 664 bytes, the excess data overwrites adjacent memory on the stack, including the Structured Exception Handler (SEH) chain. By carefully controlling the overwritten values, an attacker can redirect program execution flow when an exception is triggered.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and lack of boundary checking in the username field processing routine within Control Center PRO's user creation module. The application allocates a fixed-size buffer on the stack for storing username data but fails to verify that user-supplied input does not exceed this buffer's capacity before performing the copy operation.

Attack Vector

This is a local attack vector that requires an attacker to have access to a system running Control Center PRO 6.2.9. The attack requires user interaction, as the malicious payload must be entered through the user creation interface.

The exploitation process involves:

1. The attacker accesses the user creation module within Control Center PRO 6.2.9
2. A specially crafted username payload exceeding 664 bytes is submitted through the username field
3. The oversized input overwrites the stack buffer and corrupts the SEH chain
4. When an exception occurs (or is deliberately triggered), the corrupted SEH handler redirects execution to attacker-controlled shellcode
5. This allows the attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the Control Center PRO application

For detailed technical analysis and exploit information, refer to the Exploit-DB #47645 entry and the VulnCheck Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25357

Indicators of Compromise

• Crash dumps or application errors from Control Center PRO with stack corruption signatures
• Unusual process behavior or child process spawning from the Control Center PRO application
• Detection of long strings (>664 bytes) being submitted to user creation forms
• Windows Event Log entries indicating SEH-related exceptions in the Control Center PRO process

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for abnormally long input strings in the user creation module of Control Center PRO
• Implement endpoint detection rules to identify SEH overwrite patterns and exploitation attempts
• Deploy memory protection technologies that detect stack-based buffer overflow exploitation
• Use application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized code execution from the Control Center PRO process context

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for Control Center PRO application events
• Monitor Windows Event Logs for application crashes and exception records related to Control Center PRO
• Implement file integrity monitoring on Control Center PRO installation directories
• Track any unusual network connections originating from the Control Center PRO process

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25357

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict local access to systems running Control Center PRO 6.2.9 to trusted users only
• Review and audit user accounts with access to the affected application
• Consider isolating systems running vulnerable versions until patches can be applied
• Enable Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) where supported
• Monitor the WebGate Product Download page for security updates

Patch Information

Users should check the WebGate Product page for the latest version of Control Center PRO and apply any available security updates. If no patch is currently available from the vendor, implement the workarounds listed below to reduce risk exposure.

Workarounds

• Limit access to the user creation functionality to only essential personnel
• Implement network segmentation to isolate systems running Control Center PRO from untrusted networks
• Use application sandboxing or virtualization to contain potential exploitation impacts
• Enable Windows Exploit Protection features including Stack Protection and ASLR enforcement