CVE-1999-0510 in Router
Summary
by MITRE
a router or firewall allows source routed packets from arbitrary hosts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/10/2024
This vulnerability exists in network infrastructure devices such as routers and firewalls that fail to properly validate source routing information in incoming packets. The flaw allows any remote host to inject packets with forged source addresses, enabling attackers to bypass security controls that rely on source address validation. Source routing is a network protocol feature that allows packets to specify their own route through the network, but when improperly implemented or unrestricted, it creates significant security risks. The vulnerability stems from the device's failure to implement proper access controls or filtering mechanisms for source routing options in ip packets, directly violating secure network design principles.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of the ip protocol's source routing options field, which can contain a list of intermediate addresses that a packet should traverse. When a router or firewall accepts packets with source routing information from untrusted sources, it effectively allows attackers to manipulate network traffic paths and potentially bypass access controls. This creates opportunities for man-in-the-middle attacks, traffic redirection, and network reconnaissance. The vulnerability is classified under cwe-284 access control issues and specifically relates to improper access control in network security devices. According to the attack technique framework, this represents a network layer attack vector that can be categorized under mitre att&ck technique t1071.004 application layer protocol network protocol abuse.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it undermines fundamental network security assumptions. Attackers can use this flaw to conduct spoofing attacks, manipulate routing decisions, and potentially gain unauthorized access to network resources. Network administrators may find their security policies ineffective since source routing can bypass traditional firewall rules and access control lists. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of network communications, as attackers can intercept, modify, or redirect traffic without detection. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where network segmentation and access controls are critical for security. Organizations may experience unauthorized data access, network disruption, and potential compromise of sensitive systems. The attack surface expands significantly as any network device that processes ip packets with source routing options becomes a potential entry point.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing strict source routing controls at network boundaries and disabling source routing capabilities where not explicitly required. Network security devices should be configured to reject packets containing source routing options from external networks or implement strict validation of source routing information. The recommended approach involves configuring routers and firewalls to either disable source routing entirely or to implement strict access controls that only allow source routing from trusted network segments. Security policies should mandate that all network infrastructure devices enforce proper access controls and reject unauthorized source routing packets. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect unusual source routing activity and establish incident response procedures for potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify devices that may still be vulnerable to this type of attack vector. The implementation of these controls aligns with security best practices outlined in nist cybersecurity framework and iso 27001 standards for network security management.