CVE-2019-25661: Remote Process Explorer Buffer Overflow

CVE-2019-25661 Overview

CVE-2019-25661 is a local buffer overflow vulnerability affecting Remote Process Explorer version 1.0.0.16. This vulnerability allows attackers to cause a denial of service by sending a crafted payload to the Add Computer dialog. When a malicious string is pasted into the computer name textbox and a connection attempt is made, the application crashes due to SEH (Structured Exception Handler) chain corruption.

Critical Impact

Local attackers can exploit this buffer overflow to crash the application by overwriting exception handlers, leading to denial of service conditions on systems running the vulnerable software.

Affected Products

• Remote Process Explorer version 1.0.0.16
• Lizard Systems Remote Process Explorer

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-05 - CVE-2019-25661 published to NVD
• 2026-04-07 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25661

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-787 (Out-of-Bounds Write), a category of memory corruption issues where software writes data past the boundaries of allocated memory. In the case of Remote Process Explorer, the application fails to properly validate the length of user-supplied input in the computer name textbox within the Add Computer dialog.

When an oversized or specially crafted string is provided as input, the application writes beyond the allocated buffer space, corrupting adjacent memory structures. Most critically, this overflow overwrites the SEH chain—a Windows mechanism used to handle exceptions. By corrupting these exception handlers, an attacker can cause the application to crash when it attempts to process the malformed input during a connection attempt.

The local attack vector means exploitation requires direct access to the system running the vulnerable software, limiting the scope of potential attacks but still posing a risk in multi-user environments or scenarios where an attacker has achieved initial access.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation in the Add Computer dialog's computer name textbox field. The application does not enforce proper length restrictions or boundary checks on the user-supplied string before copying it into a fixed-size buffer. This lack of bounds checking enables attackers to supply input that exceeds the buffer's allocated size, resulting in memory corruption.

Attack Vector

The attack requires local access to the system and user interaction with the application interface. An attacker must:

1. Open Remote Process Explorer 1.0.0.16
2. Navigate to the Add Computer dialog
3. Paste a maliciously crafted oversized string into the computer name textbox
4. Attempt to connect to the added computer entry

Upon connection attempt, the SEH chain is overwritten and exception handlers become corrupted, causing the application to crash. The vulnerability exploits the Add Computer functionality where input processing occurs without adequate boundary validation. Technical details and proof-of-concept information are available in the Exploit-DB #46304 entry.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25661

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes of the Remote Process Explorer application with exception handling errors
• Application error logs showing SEH chain corruption or access violation exceptions
• Clipboard history containing unusually long strings potentially used for exploitation attempts

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for application crashes associated with rpexplorer.exe or similar Remote Process Explorer executables
• Implement application crash monitoring to detect repeated denial of service conditions
• Deploy endpoint detection rules that flag buffer overflow-style crashes in legacy applications

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable Windows Error Reporting to capture crash dumps for forensic analysis
• Configure endpoint protection solutions to monitor for SEH overwrite patterns
• Review application event logs for repeated crashes of Remote Process Explorer

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25661

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Remote Process Explorer to a patched version if available from Lizard Systems
• Restrict access to systems running vulnerable versions of Remote Process Explorer
• Consider uninstalling the vulnerable software if it is not critical to operations
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized software execution

Patch Information

Check the vendor's website for updated versions of Remote Process Explorer. The vulnerable version is 1.0.0.16. Visit the Lizard Systems Product Information page for the latest software releases and security updates. Additionally, review the VulnCheck Advisory on Buffer Overflow for detailed mitigation guidance.

Workarounds

• Limit user access to the Add Computer dialog functionality where possible
• Restrict clipboard operations on systems running the vulnerable application
• Implement network segmentation to isolate systems running legacy administrative tools
• Train users to avoid pasting untrusted content into application dialogs