Custom shortcuts can pass the wrong parameters to applications – Opera Security Advisories

Severity

Moderately Severe

Problem Description

Custom shortcut and menu commands can be used to activate external applications. In some cases, the parameters passed to these applications are not prepared correctly, and may be created from uninitialized memory. These may be misinterpreted as additional parameters, and depending on the application, this could allow execution of arbitrary code.

 

Successful exploitation requires convincing the user to modify their shortcuts or menu files appropriately, pointing to an appropriate target application, then to activate that shortcut at an appropriate time. To inject code, additional means will have to be employed.

 

Affected versions

This vulnerability affects Opera for Microsoft Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and Solaris.

Opera’s Response

Opera Software has released Opera 9.52, where this issue has been fixed.

 

Credits

Thanks to Michael A. Puls II for reporting this issue to Opera Software.