📄 Description (English)
Yasr 0.6.9-5 contains a buffer overflow vulnerability that allows local attackers to crash the application or execute arbitrary code by supplying an oversized argument to the -p parameter. Attackers can invoke yasr with a crafted payload containing junk data, shellcode, and a return address to overwrite the stack and trigger code execution.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
CVE-2016-20041 is a critical buffer overflow vulnerability in Yasr 0.6.9-5 that allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code or crash the application through oversized arguments to the -p parameter. With a CVSS score of 8.4 and no available patch, this vulnerability poses significant risk to systems running vulnerable versions. The lack of exploit availability does not diminish the severity given the straightforward nature of buffer overflow attacks.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: Apr 24, 2026 04:53
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
This vulnerability primarily affects Saudi government and research institutions that may utilize Yasr (a screen reader/accessibility tool) on Linux systems. Risk is elevated in: (1) Government agencies using accessibility tools for compliance with disability accommodation requirements; (2) Educational institutions and research centers; (3) Healthcare facilities providing accessible IT infrastructure. The local-only attack vector limits exposure but remains critical for multi-user systems and shared research environments common in Saudi academic institutions.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Government
Education
Healthcare
Research Institutions
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
7.2
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
Immediate Actions:
1. Identify all systems running Yasr 0.6.9-5 or earlier versions through asset inventory and package management queries
2. Restrict local access to systems running vulnerable Yasr versions using principle of least privilege
3. Implement file integrity monitoring on systems where Yasr is installed
Compensating Controls (No Patch Available):
1. Disable or uninstall Yasr if not actively required for accessibility needs
2. Implement strict access controls limiting who can execute Yasr with command-line parameters
3. Use AppArmor or SELinux profiles to restrict Yasr's memory access and execution capabilities
4. Monitor process execution logs for Yasr invocations with unusual parameter lengths
5. Implement stack canaries and ASLR at OS level to mitigate exploitation attempts
6. Consider upgrading to alternative maintained screen reader solutions (NVDA, JAWS alternatives)
Detection Rules:
1. Alert on Yasr process execution with -p parameter containing strings >256 characters
2. Monitor for unexpected child processes spawned from Yasr
3. Track failed Yasr executions followed by system crashes
4. Log all local user attempts to execute Yasr with administrative privileges
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. تحديد جميع الأنظمة التي تعمل بـ Yasr 0.6.9-5 أو الإصدارات الأقدم من خلال جرد الأصول واستعلامات إدارة الحزم
2. تقييد الوصول المحلي للأنظمة التي تعمل بإصدارات Yasr الضعيفة باستخدام مبدأ أقل صلاحية
3. تنفيذ مراقبة سلامة الملفات على الأنظمة المثبت عليها Yasr
الضوابط التعويضية (لا يوجد تصحيح متاح):
1. تعطيل أو إلغاء تثبيت Yasr إذا لم يكن مطلوباً بنشاط لاحتياجات إمكانية الوصول
2. تنفيذ ضوابط وصول صارمة تحد من يمكنه تنفيذ Yasr مع معاملات سطر الأوامر
3. استخدام ملفات تعريف AppArmor أو SELinux لتقييد وصول Yasr للذاكرة وقدرات التنفيذ
4. مراقبة سجلات تنفيذ العمليات لاستدعاءات Yasr بأطوال معاملات غير عادية
5. تنفيذ stack canaries و ASLR على مستوى نظام التشغيل للتخفيف من محاولات الاستغلال
6. النظر في الترقية إلى حلول قارئ شاشة بديلة مدعومة (بدائل NVDA و JAWS)
قواعد الكشف:
1. تنبيه عند تنفيذ عملية Yasr مع معامل -p يحتوي على سلاسل >256 حرف
2. مراقبة العمليات الفرعية غير المتوقعة التي تم إطلاقها من Yasr
3. تتبع عمليات Yasr الفاشلة متبوعة بأعطال النظام
4. تسجيل جميع محاولات المستخدمين المحليين لتنفيذ Yasr بامتيازات إدارية
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
A.5.1.1 - Information security policies and procedures
A.5.2.1 - User access management and authorization
A.5.3.1 - Cryptography and secure coding practices
A.5.4.1 - Physical and logical access controls
A.5.5.1 - Vulnerability management and patch management
🔵 SAMA CSF
ID.AM-2 - Asset management and inventory
PR.AC-1 - Access control policies and procedures
PR.PT-1 - Security awareness and training
DE.CM-1 - Detection and monitoring of anomalies
RS.MI-1 - Incident response and mitigation
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
A.5.1.1 - Information security policies
A.5.2.1 - User access management
A.5.3.1 - Cryptography
A.5.4.1 - Physical and logical access controls
A.5.5.1 - Vulnerability management
A.5.7.1 - Secure development and maintenance