CVE-2000-1080 in Quake
Summary
by MITRE
Quake 1 (quake1) and ProQuake 1.01 and earlier allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a malformed (empty) UDP packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/27/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-1080 affects the Quake 1 game engine and its ProQuake 1.01 variant, representing a classic denial of service weakness in network protocol handling. This issue stems from the game's failure to properly validate incoming UDP packets, specifically when encountering empty or malformed packets that lack proper data structure. The vulnerability resides in the network communication layer of these gaming applications, which were widely distributed and used in multiplayer environments during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The technical flaw manifests when the Quake engine receives a UDP packet that contains no data payload or contains insufficient data to form a valid game protocol message. The engine's packet parsing routine does not include proper bounds checking or data validation mechanisms to handle such malformed inputs. When processing these empty packets, the application fails to gracefully handle the unexpected data structure, leading to a crash or system hang that effectively renders the game server or client unavailable to legitimate users. This represents a fundamental weakness in input validation and error handling within the network stack implementation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring authentication or special privileges. In multiplayer gaming environments, this vulnerability could be used to disrupt gameplay sessions, cause server outages, or prevent legitimate players from accessing game services. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it can be executed from any network location, making it a significant concern for game server administrators who must maintain availability for their user base. The vulnerability's prevalence in widely distributed software meant that many gaming servers and client installations were potentially exposed to this attack vector.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require implementing proper input validation and error handling mechanisms within the network protocol layer. System administrators should ensure that all network services include robust packet validation routines that can handle malformed data gracefully without crashing or hanging. The fix typically involves adding bounds checking before processing UDP packet contents, implementing proper error recovery procedures, and ensuring that all network protocols include adequate data validation. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of array indices, and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1498, which covers network denial of service attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring and intrusion detection systems to identify and respond to such malformed packet attacks, while maintaining up-to-date software versions that include proper input validation fixes.