CVE-2000-0882 in Express Switch
Summary
by MITRE
Intel Express 500 series switches allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service via a malformed ICMP packet, which causes the CPU to crash.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-0882 represents a critical denial of service flaw affecting Intel Express 500 series network switches. This weakness resides in the switch's handling of Internet Control Message Protocol packets, specifically when processing malformed ICMP traffic that triggers a system crash. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental design flaw in the network switch's packet processing mechanisms, where insufficient input validation allows malicious actors to exploit the device's response to malformed network traffic. Network administrators and security professionals should recognize this as a precursor to more sophisticated attacks targeting network infrastructure components.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts and transmits specially malformed ICMP packets to the affected Intel Express 500 series switch. The switch's operating system fails to properly validate incoming ICMP packet structures, leading to a buffer overflow or similar memory corruption condition that results in a complete system crash. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which addresses heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. The switch's failure to implement proper packet validation routines creates an attack surface where network traffic can be used to directly compromise the device's operational integrity. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers need not have physical access to the device, making it particularly dangerous in network environments where such switches are deployed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as the denial of service affects network availability and can potentially compromise the overall security posture of the affected network infrastructure. When the switch experiences a crash, it ceases to function as a network gateway, causing network partitions and disrupting communication between network segments. This type of attack aligns with ATT&CK technique T1498, which describes network denial of service attacks that target network infrastructure components. Organizations relying on Intel Express 500 series switches may face significant operational challenges when this vulnerability is exploited, particularly in mission-critical environments where network uptime is essential. The crash condition can be persistent, requiring manual intervention to restore normal operations, which increases the overall impact on business continuity.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate firmware updates from Intel, as the manufacturer would have released patches addressing the malformed ICMP packet handling issue. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit the potential impact by restricting access to these switches from untrusted networks. Implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on malformed ICMP traffic patterns provides an additional layer of defense. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security assessments and firmware maintenance programs, as well as adherence to security best practices such as those outlined in NIST SP 800-41 for network security. Organizations should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify and block suspicious ICMP traffic patterns, as this vulnerability represents a classic example of how malformed network traffic can be weaponized against network infrastructure components.