CVE-2019-25437: Foscam VMS Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2019-25437 Overview

CVE-2019-25437 is a buffer overflow vulnerability affecting Foscam Video Management System version 1.1.6.6. The vulnerability exists in the UID field processing functionality and allows local attackers to crash the application by supplying an excessively long string. Specifically, attackers can input a 5000-character buffer into the UID parameter during device addition, which triggers an application crash when the Login Check function is subsequently invoked.

Critical Impact
Local attackers can cause a denial of service condition by crashing the Foscam Video Management System through a stack-based buffer overflow in the UID field.

Affected Products

Foscam Video Management System version 1.1.6.6

Discovery Timeline

2026-02-20 - CVE-2019-25437 published to NVD
2026-02-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25437

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-121 (Stack-based Buffer Overflow), a memory corruption issue that occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of a stack-allocated buffer. In the context of Foscam Video Management System, the application fails to properly validate the length of user-supplied input in the UID field during the device addition process.

The vulnerability requires local access to the system and some user interaction to exploit. While it does not allow for code execution or data theft, successful exploitation results in complete loss of application availability, disrupting video management and surveillance operations.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper input validation in the UID parameter handling. When a user adds a new device to the Video Management System, the application accepts a UID string without enforcing appropriate length constraints. The Login Check function subsequently processes this oversized input, causing the data to overflow the allocated stack buffer and corrupt adjacent memory, leading to an application crash.

Attack Vector

The attack requires local access to the Foscam Video Management System interface. An attacker must:

Access the device addition functionality within the application
Input an excessively long string (approximately 5000 characters) into the UID field
Trigger the Login Check function to process the malformed input

The exploitation path is straightforward and does not require elevated privileges, though it does require user interaction with the application interface.

Technical details and proof-of-concept information are available in the Exploit-DB #47478 entry. The VulnCheck Advisory provides additional analysis of this buffer overflow denial of service condition.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25437

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected crashes of the Foscam Video Management System application
Application error logs showing memory access violations or stack corruption
Windows Event Log entries indicating application faults with exception codes related to memory corruption
Repeated application restarts without user initiation

Detection Strategies

Monitor for abnormally long strings in application input fields, particularly exceeding 1000 characters
Implement application-level logging to capture input lengths in device management operations
Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of identifying buffer overflow exploitation patterns
Configure crash dump analysis to identify stack corruption signatures

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable Windows Application Event Log monitoring for Foscam Video Management System crash events
Set up alerts for repeated application failures within short time intervals
Monitor system memory usage patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts
Implement file integrity monitoring on application binaries to detect potential compromise

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25437

Immediate Actions Required

Check the Foscam Official Website for updated versions of the Video Management System
Restrict local access to systems running Foscam Video Management System to trusted users only
Implement network segmentation to limit access to video management infrastructure
Monitor for suspicious activity targeting the device management functionality
Consider deploying application whitelisting to prevent exploitation of the vulnerable application

Patch Information

Users should visit the Foscam Official Website to check for updated versions of the Video Management System that address this vulnerability. Upgrading to the latest available version is the recommended remediation approach. Review the VulnCheck Advisory for additional mitigation guidance.

Workarounds

Restrict access to the Foscam Video Management System to authorized personnel only
Implement access controls at the network level to limit who can interact with the application
Deploy endpoint protection solutions that can detect and block buffer overflow exploitation attempts
Establish application monitoring to detect and alert on crash events
Consider running the application in a sandboxed environment to limit the impact of crashes

bash

# Example: Restrict local access using Windows security policies
# Limit user accounts that can access the Foscam VMS application directory
icacls "C:\Program Files\Foscam\VMS" /inheritance:r
icacls "C:\Program Files\Foscam\VMS" /grant:r Administrators:(OI)(CI)F
icacls "C:\Program Files\Foscam\VMS" /grant:r "SYSTEM":(OI)(CI)F