CVE-1999-0667 in Host
Summary
by MITRE
the arp protocol allows any host to spoof arp replies and poison the arp cache to conduct ip address spoofing or a denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2026
The vulnerability described in CVE-1999-0667 highlights a fundamental weakness in the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) that has persisted as a critical security flaw in network communications. This issue stems from the inherent design of ARP which lacks authentication mechanisms, allowing any host on a local network to send forged ARP replies. The protocol operates on a trust-based model where hosts accept ARP responses without verifying their authenticity, creating an environment where malicious actors can exploit this trust to manipulate network traffic. The vulnerability specifically enables attackers to poison ARP caches, which serves as a foundation for more sophisticated attacks including man-in-the-middle operations and denial of service scenarios.
The technical flaw resides in the absence of cryptographic verification or authentication within the ARP protocol implementation. When a host sends an ARP request to resolve an IP address to a MAC address, the responding host can provide a false MAC address in its ARP reply without any verification process. This lack of authentication means that an attacker can easily send spoofed ARP replies to redirect traffic intended for legitimate hosts to malicious endpoints. The ARP cache poisoning occurs when the poisoned entries are stored in the target host's ARP table, causing subsequent packets to be forwarded to the attacker's machine instead of the intended destination. This fundamental design flaw was identified as a weakness in the original ARP specification and represents a classic example of insufficient authentication in network protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple network disruption to encompass serious security implications that can compromise entire network infrastructures. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, data interception, and complete network traffic redirection. The ability to conduct IP address spoofing through ARP poisoning allows attackers to impersonate legitimate network hosts, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive resources. Additionally, the vulnerability can be exploited to create denial of service conditions by poisoning ARP caches on multiple hosts simultaneously, causing widespread network disruption. This type of attack can be particularly devastating in corporate environments where network availability and data integrity are critical. The vulnerability also enables passive monitoring of network traffic, as attackers can position themselves to intercept communications between network hosts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require a combination of network security measures and protocol-level improvements. Implementing ARP inspection mechanisms and dynamic ARP protection can help detect and prevent malicious ARP activities by monitoring for unusual ARP traffic patterns and unauthorized changes to ARP tables. Network administrators should deploy ARP spoofing detection tools that can monitor for suspicious ARP activity and alert administrators to potential attacks. The implementation of secure network protocols such as IPv6 with proper authentication mechanisms or the use of network access control solutions can help reduce the attack surface. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit the scope of potential ARP poisoning attacks and regularly audit ARP tables for inconsistencies. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues and represents a classic example of the need for proper authentication and authorization mechanisms in network protocols. The attack patterns associated with this vulnerability map directly to techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under the T1565.001 Network Sniffing and T1565.002 Process Injection categories, demonstrating how this fundamental flaw can be leveraged to achieve broader security objectives.